Tarleton Women’s Basketball has found their new leader, a man who holds a 40-year coaching resume with a national championship pedigree.
Tarleton Athletics announced on Monday that they have hired three-time NCAA Division I national champion and longtime Baylor associate head coach Bill Brock as their women’s basketball head coach.
Brock becomes the seventh head coach in program history.
“We have just brought one of the best, most well-respected women’s basketball coaches in the country to Tarleton State University,” said Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Lonn Reisman. “I’ve known Bill Brock for over 35 years. He is a tremendous basketball mind and an outstanding recruiter – maybe one of the best in the country. He’s a man of character and will do an outstanding job of developing our young ladies on the court, in the classroom, and for life after basketball.
“He brings tremendous experience to our program and I have no doubt that he will build a foundation to grow our women’s basketball program into one of the very best in the country,” Reisman added.
Brock was on the Baylor women’s basketball coaching staff under head coach Kim Mulkey for 18 seasons, serving as associate head coach for 16 years after two years as an assistant coach. He coached there from 2000-06 and 2009-21, bookended by a three-year stint as the associate head coach at Texas Tech from 2006-09. This past season, Brock served as the head coach at McLennan CC, leading the Highlassies to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championships, their first berth since 1984.
“What an honor it is to be named the head women’s basketball coach at Tarleton State University,” Brock said. “I am thankful for this opportunity and appreciate the confidence demonstrated in me by Dr. Hurley and Lonn Reisman throughout the hiring process. My staff and I will work tirelessly to create a foundation that produces successful young women on and off the court. We want to bring championships to Tarleton State. It’s a great day to be a Texan.”
Brock was the Lady Bears associate head coach for three memorable national championship seasons in 2019, 2012 and 2005. He also helped Baylor to the 2010 Final Four, seven Elite Eight appearances, and 23 Big 12 Conference titles (12 regular season, 11 tournament).
Under Mulkey and Brock, Baylor was truly a powerhouse, going 552-83 (.869) across the 18 seasons, posting 20+ wins each year, 30+ wins 10 times, and a perfect 40-0 campaign in 2011-12. The Lady Bears made it to the NCAA Tournament in all but two of Brock’s seasons, one because there was no such tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-20. Over the last 11 years he was at Baylor, the team went 340-28 (.924).
In charge of the post players while at Baylor, Brock helped develop several All-Americans, including Sophia Young, Steffanie Blackmon, Danielle Crockrom, Destiny Williams, Brittney Griner, Nina Davis, Kalani Brown, Lauren Cox and NaLyssa Smith. He coached 10 WNBA draft picks that include seven first rounders, the No. 1 overall pick in 2013 (Griner) and the No. 2 overall pick in 2022 (Smith). Nine centers and forwards tallied 46 all-America awards under Brock’s watch.
“Bill Brock is a proven winner everywhere he’s been,” Texas women’s basketball head coach Vic Schaefer said. “He’s been a part of championship teams. His teams are well coached. He’s a veteran who has been around the game a long time. Bill Brock has always been about family, both his personal family as well as his student-athletes. Tarleton State can expect a highly competitive women’s basketball program that will succeed both in the classroom, on the court and will represent their university and the community with grace and class. Tarleton State just hit a home run.”
This past season at McLennan CC, Brock took the Highlassies to a 28-5 overall record, the first time they’ve reached the 20-win plateau since 2013-14. McLennan was ranked as high as No. 8 in the NJCAA poll and received one of eight at-large bids to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championships.
“Bill Brock is one of the most respected coaches in basketball,” Dallas Wings head coach Latricia Trammell said. “He is one of the nation’s elite recruiters and has been an integral part of some of the most successful teams in women’s basketball. He will make an immediate positive impact on Tarleton State University and the community of Stephenville.
“Bill is an inspiring and empowering coach that will demand the best out of his players,” Trammell added. “The Tarleton State fans are going to enjoy watching the competitive spirit displayed on the court.”
During his three-year stint as associate head coach at Texas Tech, Brock helped orchestrate a top-10 recruiting class in his first year with the Lady Raiders. Texas Tech had winning seasons in each of his campaigns before he returned to Waco.
“Bill Brock is an outstanding person and coach who will make a huge impact on Tarleton Women’s Basketball and the entire university community,” Iowa State women’s basketball head coach Bill Fennelly said. “Bill is a great friend who has been a part of some of the most successful women’s basketball teams ever during his time at Baylor. He’s a coach who will recruit student-athletes who compete hard and at both ends of the floor. The fans will love the connection they will have with everyone in the program. This is a significant hire by Tarleton in every way.”
Brock spent 13 years as the head coach at Grayson College from 1987-2000, establishing the program as one of the best in the junior college ranks. He was voted the conference Coach of the Year nine times and regional Coach of the Year twice, and was also recognized in 1996 as the National Junior College Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
During his first year at Grayson, Brock led the Lady Vikings to their first Northern Texas Conference title and a top-25 national ranking. Grayson continued that success by winning 10 conference championships, two regional titles and two national tournament berths (2000 and 1996). In total at Grayson, he went 371-50, highlighted by a 36-1 season and a third-place finish at the 2000 NJCAA National Tournament. He also coached 10 Northern Texas Conference Most Valuable Players and nine All-Americans.
In 2019, Brock was inducted to the inaugural class of the Grayson College Athletics Hall of Fame. The school has named the gym as “Bill Brock Court” in his honor.
“Bill is a hard worker, very professional and a proven winner,” Wichita State women’s basketball head coach Keitha Adams said. “The fans can expect him to bring a great caliber of basketball that will be fun to watch. He’s a true Texas guy who’s always enjoyable to talk to.”
Brock began his collegiate coaching career at East Central, spending two seasons as an assistant coach there from 1985-87. The Durant, Oklahoma, native, also spent three seasons as the head coach for the boys’ basketball team at Durant High School from 1982-85.
Tarleton will host a press conference to introduce their new women’s basketball head coach on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. CT at Wisdom Gym. All media members, students, staff and fans are invited to attend. The press conference will be streamed on WACInternational.tv.
