Wisconsin Women Basketball Program Hires New Coach

by Jules Da Costa, age 16

The University of Wisconsin’s women's basketball coach Marissa Moseley resigned as head coach after their fourth consecutive losing season. Former Missouri coach Robin Pingeton will take her place as head coach.

The Badgers went 13-16 this past season and in the first round of the Big Ten tournament they lost 81-54 to Iowa. The UW women’s basketball team had been struggling since before 2021, when athletic director Chris McIntosh brought in Moseley to turn the program around. She had previously posted a 45-29 record in three seasons at Boston University. That didn’t seem to be the case for Wisconsin though, as the team posted a 47-75 overall record in four seasons.

Moseley decided to step down for “personal reasons,” as she said in a press release by the university. “It has been a privilege to lead the program at Wisconsin. I am grateful for the student-athletes, coaches, and staff in our program who have put in so much time and effort. I am appreciative, also of the Badger fans who supported us at the Kohl Center and around the country.”

McIntosh announced Pingeton as Moseley’s replacement on March 25. She will be the ninth coach in the program’s history. She brings over 30 years of experience to Wisconsin. Pingeton previously spent 15 years at Missouri, where she compiled a 250-218 record, led the Tigers to four straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2015 to 2019, and was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2017.

Pingeton now faces the challenge of rebuilding a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2010-2011. The team is also undergoing major roster changes with six transfers and three more losses to graduation, which includes the previous season’s starting lineup. Despite the challenges, Pingeton expresses excitement, saying “I’m excited to get to Madison and get to work.”

[Sources: ESPN; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; UWBadgers.com; Wisconsin State Journal]