The East Tennessee State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Friday that the university and head women’s basketball coach Brittney Ezell have agreed to a contract extension.
The contract is a four-year agreement that will run through the end of the 2018-19 season.
“Coach Ezell’s leadership and the accomplishments of her team this past year were extraordinary,” said ETSU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Richard Sander. “At the end of the season, it was clearly our goal to keep coach Ezell on the sidelines here at ETSU, and today we are pleased to announce that we have agreed to a contract extension.”
In two seasons at ETSU, Ezell has quickly turned the program around, guiding the team to a 21-12 mark in 2014-15 and the program’s first appearance in non-conference postseason play since 2010. The Bucs’s 12-game win improvement from 2013-14 to this recently-completed season is the second-highest progression among NCAA Division I women’s basketball teams this year and is the best in program history.
Included in the Bucs’ bounce-back year in 2014-15 were a second-place finish in the Southern Conference regular-season standings and a runner-up placement in the 2015 SoCon Women’s Basketball Championship. ETSU’s 11-3 mark in league play this year was its best finish in SoCon regular-season action since 2004.
“I am so grateful for and humbled by the commitment and support given to our program, to our student-athletes and to me by Dr. Sander, Dr. Brian Noland and the entire ETSU community,” said Ezell. “Long-term stability is important to me, to my staff and to the recruits that are considering ETSU. With this new contract, we will be able to reassure recruits, their families and our incredible fans that we are fully invested in the long-term growth of ETSU women’s basketball. I am honored to lead this program for years to come and I know that our players and staff will continue to work tirelessly to make our University, alumni and community proud. It is a great time to be an East Tennessee State University Buccaneer!”
Fans can be part of the momentum of ETSU women’s basketball by purchasing their season tickets now for the 2015-16 season. Simply visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the tickets link to get your seats today inside Brooks Gym.
