UC women's basketball hires former Bearcat Katrina Merriweather from Memphis as head coach

The first Big 12 women's basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati will be a former Bearcat.

Katrina Merriweather, who played for Laurie Pirtle at UC, then became a grad assistant in the 2001-2002 season is coming home. Most recently she's been at Memphis where the Tigers were 22-11 and second in the American Athletic Conference, making the WNIT Sweet 16.

She inherited a four-win program and won 38 games over two seasons in Memphis. In her two seasons at the helm, the Tigers earned three All-Conference selections.

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“I’m excited to announce Katrina Merriweather as the next head coach for our women’s basketball program,” UC athletic director John Cunningham said. “Her track record of success at both Wright State and Memphis speaks for itself. She’s been an outstanding recruiter, program builder and developer of talent. As an alumna of Cincinnati and one of the winningest players in school history, she knows the potential this program has and understands what it will take for us to compete at the top of the Big 12. She’s the perfect fit and I’m thrilled to welcome her back to the program.”

Before Memphis, Merriweather was head coach at Wright State, leading the Raiders to four postseason appearances, including NCAA bids in 2019 and 2021. She was 113-47 at Wright State and 151-70 overall.

The Raiders were three-time Horizon League champs under her tenure. They also earned 16 All-Conference selections in Merriweather's time in Fairborn. Merriweather was an assistant under Mike Bradbury for six seasons at Wright State from 2010-16 before becoming head coach.  Prior to Wright State, she was an assistant at Purdue from 2003-06, and at UIC for the 2002-03 season.

A four-year letter-winner for the Bearcats’ Hall of Fame head coach Pirtle from 1997-01, Merriweather became the program’s first women’s basketball player to advance to four consecutive postseason tournaments. Additionally, she helped lead the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament win as a graduate assistant coach in 2001-02.

Merriweather announced her resignation early Saturday. Memphis AD Laird Veatch acknowledged her departure Friday night.

“I’m elated to come back to the University of Cincinnati as the head coach of the women’s basketball program,” Merriweather said. “My time as a student-athlete and as a Bearcat were some of the greatest years of my life, and I’m excited to give back with everything I have to our current players like so many did for me. This is home for me, and I’m honored to wear the C-Paw once again. I’m thankful to John Cunningham and Maggie McKinley for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to working closely with our entire athletics department to compete for championships in the Big 12.”

A press conference will be held at UC sometime Tuesday.

The search was led by McKinley, Deputy Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, who worked with Cunningham to bring Merriweather back home. 

“It was truly a no-brainer to bring Katrina Merriweather back to Cincinnati to lead our women’s basketball program,” McKinley said. “She checked every box for what we were looking for in our next head coach. She’s a top recruiter with a proven track record of building programs. She will bring an elite staff with her here, and care and concern for the student-athlete is her top priority. Of course, being a former player, team captain and graduate assistant coach here, she has personal investment in the program. Any time you get the opportunity to bring a Bearcat back to their home and back to the University of Cincinnati family, it’s a win.”

With the Bearcats as a player, Merriweather made 27 career starts, including 22 in her senior season, and played in 107 games. She helped lead the program to an 83-41 record in her four seasons.

“I am beyond proud for Katrina,” said Pirtle, who won 310 games over 21 seasons at Cincinnati. “She was a tremendous player in terms of how she handled herself, but most importantly she was a coach and leader on and off the floor. She constantly pulled our team together. This hire should come as no surprise. I speak for all of the UC basketball family when I say we are extremely proud of her and excited to see her come back to lead this program.”

Jolinda Miller of the UC Foundation played with Merriweather as a Bearcat and coached with her on Pirtle's staff when the new UC coach began as a grad assistant. Miller has closely followed Merriweather's career.

"It's always great when you can get a Bearcat back in the building," Miller said. "She's just an incredible human being. I look forward to the city getting to know her. Her coaching pedigree is really good. She's proven she can recruit, she can coach, I think she's a great role model for young women. It's exciting to have someone who wore the uniform and was a grad assistant come back. It's a full circle moment heading into the Big 12."

The Indianapolis native graduated from Cincinnati in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and earned a second bachelor's in secondary education in 2002.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Former Bearcat Katrina Merriweather leaving Memphis to lead UC women