Utah Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lynne Roberts has signed a contract extension through June of 2027, Director of Athletics Mark Harlan announced. Roberts guided the Utes to the Pac-12 tournament championship game last month and the first NCAA tournament win for the program since 2008.
“Lynne Roberts has steadily built a championship-level winning program in the most competitive women’s basketball conference in the country, and it is imperative that we reinforce support for her and her staff with this contract extension,” said Harlan. “The breakthrough success her team enjoyed in 2021-22—playing in the Pac-12 championship game and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament—was not an overnight sensation but a reflection of the incredibly solid and healthy foundation she has established to sustain success.”
Roberts heads into her eighth season with the Utes, holding an overall record of 112-99. She has 333 wins in 20 seasons as a head coach.
“I love Utah, Salt Lake City, the University of Utah, and this athletic department,” remarked Roberts. “Beyond that, I believe in this place: the state, the community, the university, our athletics department and its leadership. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to continue to build a women’s basketball powerhouse in the Pac-12 here at the University of Utah. President Randall, Athletic Director Mark Harlan, and COO Charmelle Green – thank you for your support of women’s athletics and of our basketball program. The best is yet to come!”
During the 2021-22 season, she led the Utes to a 21-win season for the first time since 2018-19, and the 29th 20-win season in program history. The Utes advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 after making an incredible run in the Pac-12 tournament, winning three games in three nights to earn a spot in championship game for the first time in program history.
Utah was the highest-scoring team in the Pac-12 (17th NCAA), averaging 75.9 points per game, which is the fourth-highest figure in school history and the highest since 1980-81. Utah also led the Pac-12 in three-pointers made (7th NCAA; school-record 312), three-point attempts (7th NCAA; 876), assists per game (39th NCAA; 15.3), free throws made (18th NCAA; 469), and free throw attempts (43rd NCAA; 602).
The Utes finished sixth in the Pac-12 regular season, which ties their highest finish in school history. Utah’s Gianna Kneepkens was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and All-Pac-12 selection. Kennady McQueen was a Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection, and Kneepkens and Jenna Johnson earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honors. Kneepkens is only the second Ute to take home the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors and was the first since the 2019 season.
In her first seven years in Salt Lake City, the Utes had appeared in the postseason in four of her seven seasons and had had four 18+ win seasons, including two 20-win seasons since 2012-13. In her first seven seasons at Utah, she saw five athletes join the 1,000-point club, including Megan Huff, who did it in just two seasons. She also has watched six school records fall and has coached multiple athletes to top-10 all-time rankings in program and Pac-12 history, including seeing the Utes break the school record for three-pointers made in 2018-19 (239), 2019-20 (253), and 2021-22 (312).
In Roberts’ seven seasons at Utah, the Utes have had 15 All-Pac-12 selections and 18 Pac-12 All-Academic selections. The Utes have won two Pac-12 Freshman of the Year under her watch, including the 2021-22 award winner Kneepkens.
Roberts will enter her 21st season as a head coach in 2022-23 after spending nine seasons at Pacific and four years at Chico State. In her time as a head coach, she has helped 39 total athletes to all-conference selections.
While at Pacific, she was a two-time conference coach of the year and led the Tigers to postseason appearances in each of her last four seasons. She rebuilt a program that had won just 11 games combined in the two seasons before she took over and ended her career there with 25 All-Big West selections.
In her first stint as a head coach, Roberts took over the program at Chico State, where she compiled an 86-31 overall record, earning WBCA West Region Coach of the Year in 2004-05 after leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Division II Final Four.
Roberts, a native of Redding, Calif., began her coaching career as an assistant at her alma mater, Seattle Pacific University, from 1997 to 2001. She graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1997.
Photo Courtesy Utah Athletics
Tagged with: PAC-12 Utah
