Ole Miss Inks Head Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin to Contract Extension
Coach Yo Led Ole Miss to its First NCAA Tournament Appearance Since 2007
OXFORD, Miss. – (Release) Following an historic 2021-22 campaign, Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has agreed to a new contract that runs through 2026, Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter announced on Thursday.
“We have continued to state emphatically that Ole Miss is going to compete for championships, and under Coach Yo’s leadership, our women’s basketball team has risen to that level of competitiveness,” Carter said.
“She has been relentless in elevating our program on the court, in the classroom, in the community and in every element of our student-athletes’ experience. We are excited to make this commitment to Coach Yo and look forward to standing by her side as we raise banners at The SJB Pavilion soon.“
Keith Carter on Coach Yo
“I am humbled and grateful for the support from Chancellor Boyce, Athletics Director Keith Carter, Senior Women’s Administrator Jennifer Saxon and the rest of our administration,” said McPhee-McCuin. “Their commitment recognizes the accomplishments that our program has achieved, reflects their belief in the long-term vision that has been put into place and demonstrates their unwavering trust of the success of our program in the future.
“In addition, I’m thankful for the loyal support of our faculty and staff, boosters and our fans. I am looking forward to building on the foundation of our success and continuing to lead a program that represents our fans, the University and the state of Mississippi.“
Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin
In her fourth season at the helm of the Rebels, McPhee-McCuin brought Ole Miss back into the national spotlight with the program earning its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2007 for its 18th overall. With one of the most tenacious defenses in the country, Ole Miss blocked a single-season record 142 shots and held a school record 10 opponents under 50 points.
The history didn’t stop there, as she led the Rebels to 10 SEC wins and its best conference finish since 1993. Ole Miss also appeared in its first SEC Tournament semifinal since 1994, as the fourth overall seed. The Rebels also found themselves slotted in the national polls with its first AP Poll appearance since 2007, when Ole Miss came in at No. 24 on January 24.
Under McPhee-McCuin’s tutelage, she guided Shakira Austin into becoming one of the most productive centers in the nation as the senior was named a three-time All-America Honorable Mention, earned First-Team All-SEC recognition for the second year in a row and was awarded the Gillom Trophy for the second time in her career.
Austin went on to tie Armintie Price as the highest drafted Rebel in program history, as Austin was selected third overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2022 WNBA Draft.
McPhee-McCuin has established herself as one of the nation’s best in bringing in talent from the transfer portal, as she guided Angel Baker to earn SEC Sixth-Woman of the year in her first season in Oxford. Baker posted six 20-point performances off the bench, as the only Rebel in the 21st century to accomplish that feat.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
