Following the fifth NCAA Tournament bid and the eighth overall postseason appearance under the direction of K-State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State Athletics and Mittie have agreed to a new five-year contract through the 2028-29 season, Director of Athletics Gene Taylor announced on Friday (June 28). The contract was unanimously approved by the K-State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors.
“Coach Mittie and his staff have done an unbelievable job building and sustaining a championship caliber women’s basketball program here at K-State,” Taylor said. “As evidenced by our record season a year ago, excitement is at an all-time high, and that can be attributed to the leadership of Coach Mittie, the staff he has assembled and the student-athletes that continue to work hard every day to compete at the highest level. We look forward to many more years of him leading our program.”
Under Mittie’s guidance, Kansas State has reached the postseason eight times and amassed a record of 190-135 (.585) which includes four 20-win seasons. With 10 victories, Mittie would become the third coach in program history to reach the 200-win mark at the helm of the Wildcat women’s basketball program.
“We are excited about the future of the program. Our players continue to do great things on the court and off making a difference at K-State and in the community. We have great momentum going into this upcoming season. I appreciate the continued support of Gene Taylor and Jill Shields for our staff and athletes.”
Mittie will enter his 11th season with Kansas State in 2024-25. He owns the second-most NCAA Tournament appearances and the second-most NCAA Tournament victories in K-State women’s basketball history. While guiding the Wildcats, Mittie has mentored 25 All-Big 12 selections, six Big 12 All-Defensive Team honorees, five Big 12 All-Freshman Team recipients and one Associated Press All-American.
Overall, Mittie will begin his 33rd overall season in 2024-25 and owns a career mark of 644-370 (.635) and has 23 postseason appearances. His 644 career wins at NCAA programs ranks 11th among active NCAA Division I head coaches.
K-State has also excelled in the classroom under Mittie, as the Wildcats have received 59 Academic All-Big 12 citations, five Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients, 12 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honorees and five CSC Academic All-Americans.
The Wildcats enter the 2024-25 season with the return of 10 letter winners, including four starters from last season’s 2024 NCAA Tournament squad. The Wildcats will be led by 2024 All-American center Ayoka Lee, who returns for her final season, senior guard and 2023 All-Big 12 First Team selection Serena Sundell, and the senior duo of Brylee Glenn and Jaelyn Glenn.
The 10 returning letter winners were responsible for 85 percent of K-State’s scoring, 87 percent of the team’s rebounds and 81 percent of the team’s rebounding in the 2023-24 season. The Wildcats will also welcome transfers Temira Poindexter and Kennedy Taylor and redshirts Mikayla Parks and Alexis Hess and freshman Finley Ohnstad.
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