UMKC women’s basketball head coach Candace Whitaker announced her resignation, and will become the Associate Head Coach for the Oklahoma State women’s basketball program. Whitaker led the ‘Roos to one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2011-12, going 22-12 and advancing to the program’s first ever appearance in the WNIT.

In nearly six seasons as the head coach at UMKC, taking over in mid-December of 2006, Whitaker compiled a 77-93 overall record to rank second all-time. The Canyon, Texas native and former Texas Tech basketball player had most of her success at UMKC in the last three years. In 2009-10, she led the ‘Roos to a fourth place finish in the Summit League and their first ever postseason tournament berth, going to the Women’s Basketball Invitational.

This past season, UMKC eclipsed the 20-win mark for the first time since 1991-92, and made its second ever appearance in the Summit League Tournament title game (2005), falling in overtime by a 79-78 margin to South Dakota State in Sioux Falls.

A national search for the next UMKC women’s basketball coach will begin immediately.