Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brady Barke hired Briley Palmer as Southeast Missouri’s next head women’s basketball coach Wednesday.
Palmer becomes the ninth head coach in SEMO women’s basketball history. She agreed to a five-year contract which will run through April 30, 2029.
“We are thrilled to welcome Briley and her family to SEMO,” said Barke. “Having spent the majority of her life in Southeast Missouri, Briley understands how special basketball is to this region. Her energy and passion for using the game of basketball to develop young women is outstanding. She’s a winner and I know she will lead our program to new heights.”
A native of Farmington, Missouri, Palmer enters her first NCAA Division I job after spending four years as head coach at Mineral Area College which is located less than two hours away from Cape Girardeau.
There, she compiled an overall record of 77-40, including a 25-5 mark and second-place finish in the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) in 2023-24. The Lady Cards, who concluded the season ranked 24th, spent 10 weeks in the NJCAA Top-25 Poll and put together a 14-0 home record. Their 25 victories tied a school record for most in a season. In all, Palmer coached 28 players who went on to play Division I basketball during her time at MAC.
“I am completely humbled to be the women’s basketball coach at Southeast Missouri, and I would like to thank Dr. [Carlos] Vargas and Brady Barke for this great opportunity,” said Palmer. “I am thrilled to be in this community, and I truly believe I’m here because you win with people first and that if you win in the community, you will win on the court and in the classroom.”
Palmer was an assistant at MAC for eight years before being named head coach. She was instrumental in the Lady Cards winning the Region 16 title twice. During the 2014-15 campaign, Palmer helped MAC claim its first-ever Region 16 Championship. The Lady Cards ranked as high as #13 in the NJCAA Poll her first year as an assistant coach.
She played at both MAC and Christian Brothers University. Palmer finished a two-year stint with the Lady Cards ranked third in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage. Following her final two seasons of college basketball at CBU, she remained there to be a graduate assistant for one year.
Palmer graduated from Farmington High School in 2007. She led Farmington to its first district championship, 24-straight wins and a final four appearance in the state tournament as a senior. Along the way, she earned All-Region, All-District and All-Conference honors her final prep season.
She and her husband, Jimmy, have two daughters, Dayton, and Nola. Jimmy is the Athletic Director at North County High School.
“The Palmer Family will be the biggest fans for everything SEMO,” added Palmer. “My staff and I are ready to move into the new age of SEMO Women’s Basketball. Let’s Soar!”
Palmer will be formally introduced during a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m., CT at the Show Me Center Thursday. The community is invited to attend.
Briley Palmer File
Hometown
Farmington, Mo.
Educational Background
High School: Farmington
College: Christian Brothers University (Memphis, Tenn.), 2011
Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication
Central Methodist University (Fayette, Mo.), 2016
Master of Arts in Education
Playing Experience
Mineral Area College (2007-09)
Christian Brothers University (2009-11)
Coaching Experience
2011-12 Assistant Coach/Graduate Assistant, Christian Brothers University
2012-20 Assistant Coach, Mineral Area College
2020-24 Head Coach, Mineral Area College
Year-by-Year Records Overall MCCAC
2020-21 9-13 7-8
2021-22 21-11 9-6
2022-23 22-11 8-4
2023-24 25-5 6-3 (2nd)
Total 77-40 30-21
Winning Percentage .658 .588
What they are saying about Briley Palmer . . .
“Southeast Missouri is getting a rising star in Briley Palmer. Her passion, work ethic and ability to build relationships will pay dividends right away. She understands what it takes to build a winning program as she has done that at Mineral Area College. Her energy is infectious, and she will no doubt make an immediate impact on the program and in the community. Her teams compete with energy, passion, and attention to detail in a relentless pursuit of winning championships.”
Shauna Green
University of Illinois Head Women’s Basketball Coach
“Briley Palmer is a home run hire for SEMO! She is a relentless worker, an incredible leader of young women and a tremendous coach. The Southeast Missouri community will absolutely love Coach Palmer, her contagious energy and the passion she has for basketball and developing student-athletes.”
Hana Haden
Georgia Southern Head Women’s Basketball Coach
“Coach Palmer has clearly been a successful coach on the sidelines for many years. What has impressed me is her desire to get better every day. She is a constant student of the game and pours passion into her program. She has always considered her players family and that will be a great foundation for a bright future.”
Molly Miller
Grand Canyon University Head Women’s Basketball Coach
