After a breakthrough year filled with remarkable highs, Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has agreed to a new four-year contract that runs through 2025, Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter announced on Wednesday.
Also, additional financial commitments have been dedicated to McPhee-McCuin’s staff.
“Coach Yo has taken incredible strides in elevating Ole Miss Women’s Basketball to national contention,” Carter said. “From recruiting to style of play to the personal growth of student-athletes, she is committed to excelling in all facets of the program, and that dedication was clear in the momentum our team established this season. With Yo’s energy, leadership and vision, Ole Miss is on a championship path, and we’re excited to see the journey.”
“I appreciate Chancellor Boyce and Keith for their belief in me and my vision. In addition, I’d like to thank Lynnette Johnson for her support, mentorship and commitment to our program,” McPhee-McCuin said. “When I took this opportunity three years ago, I had every intent to build this program from the ground up. I knew it was important to hire people that I felt could bring my vision to life. My staff and I have been working tirelessly to get to the point that we’re at currently, and while we know we’ve accomplished tons, we are fully aware that there’s still more work to do. I would be remiss if I didn’t include our players who have sacrificed and overcome major adversity this season while still making history on the court, community and classroom. My vision is clear, I am motivated and my whole staff is committed.
“I am asking the community of Oxford to join us in making The Pavilion the place to be for women’s basketball. This build will take everyone, and I am honored and humbled to be the leader of this program. There are truly NoCeilings to what we can accomplish!”
McPhee-McCuin is coming off an exciting third season as head coach for the Rebels, who put the SEC on notice with an exhilarating 2020-21 season. Built around the SEC’s top-ranked recruiting class and ESPN’s No. 1 rated transfer in Shakira Austin, the Rebels consistently shocked the basketball world, notching three ranked victories, four NET top-50 wins, several other narrow ranked losses and a run to the SEC quarterfinal for the first time since 2010. In the SEC Tournament, Ole Miss notched its highest ranked win of the year over No. 13 Arkansas in the Second Round (69-60) – which had beat No. 1 UConn earlier this season – and narrowly missed out on beating No. 14 Tennessee in the quarterfinal, falling 77-72 in a spectacular back-and-forth affair.
Austin was the standard-bearer for Ole Miss all season long, ending as the first Rebel to earn First-Team All-SEC since 2014-15 and as a member of the Lisa Leslie Award Top-10 list in February. She ended the regular season as the only player in the SEC to finish ranked in the top-15 in field goal percentage (.521), points (18.2), blocks (1.6), rebounds (8.8), steals (1.7) and free throw shooting (.738). Throughout the season she recorded 21 games in double-digit scoring, 10 games with 20 points or more, and 10 double-doubles, including five in a row to become the first Rebel to notch five straight in SEC games since 2007 (7, Armintie Price).
Madison Scott, the program’s first McDonald’s All-American, came away as SEC Freshman of the Year, the first for Ole Miss since All-American Armintie Price won in 2003-04. Combined with Snudda Collins’ appearance on the All-Freshman team alongside Scott, the three Rebel all-conference honorees stand as the most for an Ole Miss squad since 1992.
Ole Miss now waits to hear its name called during the NCAA Selection Show, which is slated for next Monday (March 15) at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. Currently, the Rebels own a NET of 42, a 4-8 record against the NET Top-50 and a 3-6 record against ranked teams. Over their last eight games, the Rebels were 4-4 against an average NET of 16.8 (only two games at home), and over a brutal stretch of their last five games Ole Miss was 2-3 vs. an average NET of 13.4 (only one game at home).
