Oklahoma State Cowgirls basketball

History

Early history (1972–1983)

The Oklahoma State Cowgirls first took the court during the 1973–74 season, when Oklahoma State defeated Cowley County CC 62–27 in the first game in program history. From the program's inception in 1973 until 1983, the Cowgirls were led by three separate head coaches in Dr. Jacy Showers, Brenda Johnson and Judy Bugher. Oklahoma State made numerous appearances in State and Regional AIAW tournaments, but were unable to ever made an appearance in the national AIAW women's basketball tournament.

Dick Halterman era (1983–2002)

Dick Halterman took over as head coach in the 1983–84 season. The Cowgirls immediately found sustained success under him, recording back-to-back winning seasons in his first two years as coach. Halterman would lead Oklahoma State to their first NCAA tournament appearance and victory in 1989, when the Cowgirls advanced to the Second Round after dominating Miami (FL). Oklahoma State would win their first conference title in 1990, defeating Kansas State in the championship game of the Big Eight tournament to claim the title. The Cowgirls would follow with one of the best seasons in program history in 1990–91, winning both the Big Eight regular season and conference tournament titles before advancing to the program's first Sweet Sixteen, knocking off DePaul and Michigan State at the 1991 NCAA tournament before falling to Virginia. Oklahoma State would make four more NCAA tournament appearances under Halterman, but would never again advance further than the Second Round. Halterman remains the most successful coach in Oklahoma State history, amassing 333 wins across 19 seasons.

Julie Goodenough era (2002–2005)

Julie Goodenough was hired in 2002 out of Hardin–Simmons, where she had found major success. The success was not replicated at Oklahoma State, as the Cowgirls went a combined 23–61 in the three years under Goodenough, including an abysmal 8–40 record in conference play. Goodenough resigned after the 2005 season.

Kurt Budke era (2005–2011)

Kurt Budke was hired out of Louisiana Tech in 2005, and brought Oklahoma State back to the NCAA tournament in just his second year as head coach. The Cowgirls won a program–record 27 games in the 2007–08 season, earning a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament before defeating East Tennessee State and Florida State to reach the second Sweet Sixteen in program history. Oklahoma State would again fail to advance further, falling to LSU to end the season. The Cowgirls would make an additional trip to the NCAA tournament in 2010, and Budke had just began his seventh season as head coach of the program before his tragic death in an airplane accident in 2011.

2011 plane crash

Main article: 2011 Arkansas Piper Cherokee crash

On November 17, 2011, Budke died when the Piper Cherokee light aircraft he was traveling in crashed near Perryville, Arkansas, killing all four people on board. The airplane was piloted by former Oklahoma State Senator Olin Branstetter.

The subsequent investigation concluded that the pilot lost control of the aircraft, but the cause of the loss of control was undetermined. It was the second plane crash in 10 years to involve an Oklahoma State basketball team, after the 2001 accident in which two players on the men's team, six staff, and both pilots lost their lives.

Jim Littell era (2011–2022)

Jim Littell was thrust into the role of head coach following the tragic death of Budke in 2011, after serving as assistant coach at Oklahoma State since 2005. The Cowgirls overcame the tragic death of their head coach to record a winning record in the 2011–12 season and earn a trip to the Women's National Invitation Tournament. In the WNIT, Oklahoma State recorded wins over Central Arkansas, Wichita State, Missouri State and Colorado to reach the WNIT Semifinals. The Cowgirls would continue their postseason run following a dominant victory over San Diego, punching their ticket to the championship game. Oklahoma State would go on to win the 2012 WNIT Championship over James Madison, 75–68. The 2012 WNIT title was the first postseason title in Cowgirl basketball history. Oklahoma State would ride the momentum into four straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, including the third Sweet Sixteen appearance in program history during the 2013–14 season. Littell would lead the Cowgirls to additional NCAA tournament appearances in the 2017–18 and 2020–21 seasons, but would struggle to maintain consistency or make deep postseason runs. In 2022, Littell agreed to part ways with Oklahoma State after 11 years as head coach.

Jacie Hoyt era (2022–present)

Jacie Hoyt was hired as head coach in 2022, previously coaching at Kansas City. Hoyt led Oklahoma State to the NCAA tournament in her first season as coach, where the Cowgirls fell by a point to Miami (FL) in a heartbreaking loss. After a disappointing 2023–24 season, Oklahoma State recorded 14 conference wins in 2024–25, setting a program record. Despite a first round exit in the NCAA tournament, the Cowgirls finished the year ranked for the first time in over a decade.

Year-by-year results

Conference tournament winners noted with # Source |-style="background: #ffffdd;" |-style="background: #ffffdd;"

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Cowgirls have appeared in the NCAA tournament 18 times. Their combined record is 12–18.

WNIT results

The Cowgirls have appeared in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (NIT) six times. Their combined record is 11–5. They were WNIT champions in 2012.

Cowgirls drafted in WNBA

• Andrea Riley, drafted 1st round, 8th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2010 WNBA draft
• Toni Young, drafted 1st round, 7th overall by the New York Liberty in the 2013 WNBA draft
• Tiffany Bias, drafted 2nd round, 15th overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2014 WNBA draft
• Brittney Martin, drafted 3rd round, 25th overall by the San Antonio Stars in the 2016 WNBA draft
• Loryn Goodwin, drafted 2nd round, 18th overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2018 WNBA draft
• Natasha Mack drafted 2nd round, 16th overall by the Chicago Sky in 2021 WNBA draft

References

References

1. Foster, Gina. (2023-03-08). "How each OSU women's basketball coach performed in their first season".
2. Rohde, John. (2010-02-22). "Catching up with ... former OSU women's basketball coach Dick Halterman".
3. (2020-12-21). "Julie Goodenough Resigns As Head Women's Basketball Coach".
4. (2014-07-19). "Former OSU Coach Budke Named to Women's Basketball HOF".
5. (11 November 2011). "Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna die in crash". [[ESPN.com]].
6. (27 February 2013). "CEN12FA072". [[National Transportation Safety Board]].
7. Wright, Scott. (2022-03-07). "Jim Littell is out as OSU women's basketball coach after season".
8. Press, Associated. (2022-03-21). "Oklahoma State hires Jacie Hoyt as women's hoops coach".
9. "Media Guide". Oklahoma State University.