Houston’s new women’s basketball coach Matthew Mitchell receives a jersey from President Renu Khator and athletic director Eddie Nuñez, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Houston | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Coach Kelvin Sampson led Houston men’s basketball to two Final Fours, a national title game and the most wins in men’s college basketball since 2020, leaving President Renu Khator wondering:
“Why shouldn’t we have our women’s basketball program exactly where our men’s basketball program is?”
Khator brought the issue to light after the women’s program compiled a .418 winning percentage over the 11-season tenure of coach Ronald Hughey, consisting of a .167 winning percentage in Big 12 play two seasons into its conference tenure.
The signal for change came after a 2024-25 campaign that saw just one conference win, which came in the form of a ranked upset.
Enter coach Matthew Mitchell, who, upon being hired, acknowledged Houston’s rich basketball culture and signaled a new era for the program. He stressed the importance of using the game as a vehicle for self-excellence and success beyond the court.
“The number one priority for us is the city,” Mitchell said. “The city of Houston is an epicenter of top-notch basketball talent, and I want every player to know that Houston is a place where they can come and play at the very highest level, chase championships, chase being their very best, get an incredible education and build a life that prepares them for their future.”
Mitchell wasted no time in beginning roster construction for the 2025-26 season after Houston was left with just three returners from last year’s team. Houston utilized the transfer portal to welcome senior guard TK Pitts from SMU, graduate forward Amirah Abdur-Rahim from Texas A&M and senior guard Briana Peguero from Troy, a homegrown talent.
Mitchell’s aggressive approach to roster-building was also central to his turnaround at Kentucky, where he compiled a 303-133 record over 13 seasons and became the winningest coach in program history. He led the Wildcats to 10 20-win seasons, seven 25-win seasons and one 30-win campaign.
A two-time SEC Coach of the Year, Mitchell’s teams collected nine NCAA Tournament appearances in a 10-season stretch consisting of five trips to the Sweet 16 and three to the Elite Eight. He coached five SEC Player of the Year selections and six eventual WNBA draft picks, including guard Rhyne Howard, who was selected by the Atlanta Dream first overall in 2022.
After a five-year retirement from coaching, Mitchell stepped back into the leadership circle with Houston still close to his heart. A connection that dates back to watching Astros games on TV via satellite in rural Mississippi and taking family trips to the Astrodome.
Now, the mission to elevate Houston women’s basketball to the same level of success as the men’s program both inside and outside Fertitta Center rests in Mitchell’s hands. In the age of NIL, the women’s team still lags far behind in funding and visibility, even though both programs share the same facilities. It might take something just as bold as Sampson’s 2016 megaphone tour, when he walked campus urging students to attend games, unaware that a legendary rebuild was already underway.
“I know everybody’s talking about our men’s program as one of the greatest rebuilds,” athletic director Eddie Nuñez said. “But I’d love to sit here a couple of years from now or even whenever that time comes to say that we were part of the two greatest rebuilds in college basketball.”
Great Job Michael Carrara & the Team @ The Cougar Source link for sharing this story.
