– Following a season where the Ball State University women’s basketball team won multiple games in a postseason tournament for the first time in school history, head women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee was rewarded with a contract extension, announced Ball State director of intercollegiate athletics Bill Scholl. Sallee’s contract was extended one year and will now expire following the 2017-18 season.
"When my administration came to me with the idea of extending my contract after just one year, I was blown away,” said Sallee. “To have President Gora and Bill Scholl be as committed to our program as they are, tells me I am at the right university and working for the right people. I am thrilled to be the head coach at Ball State and appreciate their continued investment in me, my family, my staff and our players."
Sallee, was named the 11th Ball State head women’s basketball coach May 10, 2012. In his first year at the helm of the Cardinals Sallee did an incredible job turning around a Ball State team that had posted a 9-21 overall record and a 4-12 league mark in 2011-12. Ball State ended the 2012-13 season with a 17-16 ledger and a 12-4 Mid-American Conference record.
Ball State finished second in the MAC and received an invitation to the 2013 Postseason Women’s Invitation Tournament for only the fourth time in school history.
Sallee earned his first postseason win as a head coach when Ball State pulled off the 53-48 first- round WNIT upset at Big Ten foe Minnesota. The Cardinals continued to make history advancing to the WNIT Final 16 for the first time in program history after knocking off Northern Iowa 54-51 in Worthen Arena.
With Sallee’s eight more conference wins than last year, the Cardinals ended the season tied for the biggest MAC turnaround in the last 20 years. Sallee coached three All-MAC selections, including the MAC Freshman of the Year and MAC Sixth Man Award recipient.
"We are thrilled to be in a position to extend Coach Sallee’s contract," Scholl said. "From the onset, we charged Brady with building a first-class program, and in one year’s time he has excelled in all phases. The on-court performance of his team speaks for itself. Beyond that, his student-athletes are thriving in the classroom and in the community. In addition, he has proven to be a tremendous recruiter, having landed the MAC’s top-rated class in his first full year. Brady has an incredible vision for how high this program can go, and he has the ability to make that vision a reality."
Sallee has amassed a 153-125 career coaching record, including his eight years as the head basketball coach at Eastern Illinois.
The Cardinals return all five starters from last season’s WNIT Final 16 team. Ball State will host an exhibition game Oct. 30, against Oakland City at 7 p.m., before opening the regular season at reigning Big Ten Champion Purdue Nov. 10, in West Lafayette, Ind.
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