When Vic Schaefer left Mississippi State after years of building a women’s basketball powerhouse in Starkville, it shocked the women’s basketball landscape that he would do so, but not as much given that he went to Texas – a program in a state he has lots of experience with.
This is what put Mississippi State on a search for its next head coach – a find that has concluded with the hire of Nikki McCray-Penson to serve in Schaefer’s stead.
Nikki has achieved success at every step of her career, both as a coach and player. She is a proven winner who will lead one of the best women’s basketball programs in the nation. We are excited to welcome Nikki and her family to Starkville and are thrilled that she will lead us into the next chapter of Mississippi State women’s basketball.
–John Cohen (Mississippi State athletic director) (release)
All-American. Olympian. All Star. Hall of Famer.
And now, Nikki McCray-Penson is a BULLDOG!#HailState🐶 | @NikkiMccray15 pic.twitter.com/G1nDDIVz2e
— Mississippi State WBK (@HailStateWBK) April 11, 2020
“You guys are special, without question.”
Unprecedented times call for an unconventional introduction, but Nikki McCray-Penson’s message to the team was still strong. #HailState🐶 | @NikkiMccray15 pic.twitter.com/AdGKrhagUp
— Mississippi State WBK (@HailStateWBK) April 12, 2020
McCray-Penson joins the Bulldogs program from Old Dominion where she spent three years, including a 2019-20 season where the Monarchs compiled a 24-6 record. The season before that, Old Dominion finished 21-11 and earned a berth to the WNIT. She is 53-40 all time in Norfolk. McCray-Penson was an assistant at South Carolina under Dawn Staley with the team that brought the Gamecocks its first-ever national title.
This is a national brand with incredible people, a storied tradition and an outstanding community that is second to none. I am confident that my experiences as a coach and player have prepared me for this, and I will pour everything I have into our student-athletes and program. My family and I are so happy to be a part of the Bulldog Family and we can’t wait to get started.
–Nikki McCray-Penson (Mississippi State head coach) (release)
Coach Nikki McCray’s Farewell Letter To the ODU Community#ODUSports | #ReignOnhttps://t.co/kNrnLJGKMa
— ODU Women’s Basketball (@ODUWBB) April 12, 2020
Thank you, Coach McCray 💙#ODUSports | #ReignOn pic.twitter.com/VYkyYzUeK5
— ODU Women’s Basketball (@ODUWBB) April 11, 2020
During Schaefer’s time at the helm at Mississippi State, he guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championship games in 2017 (South Carolina) and 2018 (Notre Dame) and its talent became household names around sports – including Morgan William, who drained a game-winning shot in a 2017 NCAA national semifinal against UConn. In addition, the program has also sent Victoria Vivians and Teaira McCowan to the WNBA – both of whom to the Indiana Fever.
McCray had a WNBA career that spanned several teams from 1998-2006, including the Washington Mystics, Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury, San Antonio Stars and Chicago Sky. She also won gold medals with the USA Basketball in 1996 in Atlanta and 2000 in Sydney.
