Wichita State has chosen Terry Nooner as its 10th head women’s basketball coach, Director of Athletics Kevin Saal announced Monday afternoon.
Wichita State Athletics will introduce Coach Nooner Thursday at 3:30 p.m. inside Charles Koch Arena. The event is free and open to the public with streaming available live and on demand via ESPN+.
“To say this is a dream come true is an understatement,” Nooner said. “As someone who played in Kansas, met my wife here and have raised my children here, I couldn’t be happier to land my first head coaching position in the state I love so much. My family and I are incredibly excited to join Shocker Nation and make Wichita our home for years to come. I can’t thank Kevin Saal and Dr. Muma enough for their belief and support, and I’m ready to build something special with our women’s basketball program.”
Nooner has a decade’s worth of coaching experience at the Division I level, most recently as an associate head coach at the University of Kansas. Nooner was an integral part of Kansas’ recent run to the 2023 WNIT title.
It’s no coincidence that the last two NCAA Tournament appearances for Kansas have come with Nooner on staff.
In addition to his time at Kansas, he has coached at Texas, Maryland, Alabama and Southern Illinois along with one season as a player development coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
His third season at Kansas marked his second stint as an assistant at Kansas after spending the 2012-13 campaign with the Jayhawks. In his return to Kansas, Nooner assisted head coach Brandon Schneider – the 2022 Big 12 Coach of the Year – during the Jayhawks breakthrough campaign in 2021-22. The Jayhawks finished the season with a record of 21-10, marking the program’s first 20-win season since 2010-11, and the Jayhawks had 20 wins during the regular season for the first time since 1999-2000. Kansas capped off the season with a berth in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, where KU earned the No. 8 seed in the Spokane Regional.
“Terry Nooner is a highly respected leader with a proven track record of success,” Saal said. “As a result of his impressive journey, Terry is incredibly well-connected within our region and nationally. We are excited to welcome Terry, his wife Tracy and the Nooner family into the Shocker family.”
Nooner was a big reason for the emergence of Kansas post player Taiyanna Jackson over the past two seasons. Jackson burst onto the scene as a junior college transfer, leading the Big 12 and ranking fourth in the Big 12 with a single-season school record 95 blocked shots. For her efforts, Jackson became the first Jayhawk in program history to be selected to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
Before returning to Lawrence, Nooner spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach at Texas, working heavily with players at the post position. He coached a pair of All-Big 12 selections and one WNBA draft pick while on the Forty Acres and UT earned three wins against Top 25 opponents that season.
Nooner, a Raytown, Mo., native, was a former guard and team captain for the University of Kansas from 1997-2000. He helped the Jayhawks to a Sweet Sixteen, four NCAA Tournament appearances and three Big 12 Championships.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American Studies from the University of Kansas in 2000. In 2002, he earned his Master’s degree in Sport Administration from Kansas.
Nooner and his wife Tracy have three children.
Photo Courtesy WSU Athletics
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