FIU Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley has signed a contract extension through the 2027-28 season, FIU Athletics officials announced.
“I couldn’t be more grateful for FIU athletics and the surrounding community’s continued support of our program and the direction it is headed, and the young women that have helped us reignite a legacy”, said head coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley.
The team has seen consistent growth under Coach Burks’ leadership.
Last season’s 2023-24 campaign saw its most success for the Panthers under coach Burks-Wiley, leading the team to its first 20-win season since the 2011-12 campaign after being picked to finish seventh in the CUSA Preseason Poll. In addition, FIU competed in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT), marking its first time since the 2012-13, including a first round win over Stetson.
In her first year at the helm, FIU saw its first winning campaign since the 2012-13 season, going 15-13 in 2020-21 and making it to the second round of the CUSA Tournament, earning Coach Burks her first CUSA Coach of the Year award. Burks completed an overhaul of an FIU program that was 11-47 combined in the two years prior to Burks being hired as the head coach of FIU Women’s Basketball.
The Panthers went on to achieve another 15-win season in her second year during the 2021-22 season, once again making it to the second round of the CUSA Tournament after beating rival Florida Atlantic in the first round, 68-60.
Into her third season in 2022-23, Burks-Wiley earned her second Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) trophy, taking down North Dakota for the WBI Championship.
Coach Burks created an explosive offense that ranked second in CUSA in scoring offense last season, putting up 69.4 points per game. The Panthers broke the record for most points scored in a single game in program history with 132 points in their first contest of the 2024-25 season.
Going 11-5 during conference play, the Panthers won their most conference games since joining Conference USA in the 2013-14 season, and is the most conference wins any FIU Women’s Basketball team has had since the 2012-13 season. The Panthers earned the third seed in last season’s 2023-24 CUSA Women’s Basketball Championships, their highest seed since joining the conference.
FIU saw six players honored with CUSA All-Conference Awards last season, with junior Mya Kone being awarded CUSA Sixth Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference in her first season with the team, and senior Tanajah Hayes making the CUSA All-Defense team as well as Second Team All-Conference
“Athletic Director Scott Carr has created a new day within FIU athletics and my staff and I are grateful to be apart of it long term,” Burks-Wiley added.
Not only has the program excelled on the court, but have consistently been studious in the classroom, last spring having a combined GPA of 3.48 and being the only team in Conference USA to have two players on the CUSA All-Academic team for the 2023-24 season.
Coach Burks and the Panthers are looking to continue their success in the 2024-25 season, already going 1-0 after beating Florida National 132-25 on November 4.
Tagged with: CUSA FIU
