The University of Oklahoma’s women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale announced Wednesday she is retiring after 25 years in the position. Coale is credited with revitalizing the OU women’s basketball program, leading the team to six Big 12 regular-season championships and three Final Four appearances.
During a press conference Wednesday, Coale said as a native Oklahoman, coaching the OU program was a dream of hers when she took the job in 1996.
“I so wanted to build a place where Oklahoma kids could come and have a chance to win a championship, a place that would be adequately reflecting of this great institution and this amazing state,” Coale said. “And 25 years later, I still cannot believe the ride that Oklahoma women's basketball has taken me on.”
Coale said she is ready to explore new opportunities beyond coaching basketball.
But Coale’s time at OU has not been free of controversy. Coale apologized in August after some Black former players posted on social media that Coale had made racially-insensitive comments during their time on the team.
This summer, Coale will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
It has not yet been announced who will replace her.
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