Sherri Kay Coale (born January 19, 1965)
is a retired college basketball coach. She was the head coach of the
University of Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team for 25 years, from 1996 to 2021. Coale was inducted into the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...
in 2016.
Personal
Coale grew up in
Healdton, Oklahoma and married Dane Scott Coale (born 1964) on June 20, 1987. The couple has two children, son Colton (born 1992) and daughter Chandler (born 1996). Coale has one brother, Jack. Their parents are Beverly Stash and Joe Buben.
Coale completed her undergraduate studies at
Oklahoma Christian College
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...
in
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, where she graduated summa cum laude in 1987. She played on the school's Lady Eagles basketball team as a
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
.
Coale was inducted into the
Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by Oklahoma Governor George Nigh "to honor Oklahoma women who are pioneers in their field or in a project that benefits Oklahoma; who have made a significant contribution to the State of Oklahoma ...
in 2007.
Coaching career
Coale accepted the Oklahoma position in 1996. She went directly from a high school squad (having coached the previous six years at the local
Norman High School)
to an
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I team. Inheriting a team in turmoil at Oklahoma, within four years, Coale had the Sooners back in the NCAA Tournament. She brought the Sooners into the national spotlight in 2002 when her team went all the way to the national championship game, losing to undefeated Connecticut.
In 2005–2006, Coale's Sooners went 16–0 in
Big 12 play and became the second Big 12 basketball team, men's or women's, to go undefeated in conference play. The
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
men's basketball team went undefeated in Big 12 play in the 2001–2002 season. In 2008, the Sooners finished tied with two other teams for third in the Big 12 Conference and were eliminated by Missouri in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.
Coale announced her retirement at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 season.
USA Basketball
Coale was named as assistant coach of the USA team which would compete at the Junior World Championship in
Brno, Czech Republic
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
during July 2001. The team won their first five games, including a record setting win against Mali. The 97–27 final score represented the largest margin of victory by a USA team in Junior World Championship history. The preliminary round results qualified the team for the medal rounds, where they faced the host team, the Czech Republic. With a home crowd cheering them on, the Czech team held a nine-point lead with just over six minutes to go. The USA team cut the lead down to three points with seconds to go, and good defense gave the ball back to the USA. However, the USA was called for an offensive foul, and lost possession. The Czech Republic team won 92–88, and went on to beat Russia 82–80 to win the gold medal. The USA team beat Australia 77–72 to win the bronze medal.
Diana Taurasi
Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft. Taurasi has w ...
was the leading scorer for the US with 19.3 points per game, while
Alana Beard
Alana Monique Beard (born May 14, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. After playing college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, she was drafted second overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2004 WNBA Draft. She signed ...
was close behind with 18.0 points per game.
Nicole Powell
Nicole Kristen Powell (born June 22, 1982) is an American basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach at UC Riverside Highlanders women's basketball, University of California, Riverside. As a player, she had a standout col ...
was the leading rebounder for the US, with seven rebounds per game.
Head coaching record
References
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External links
Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame Oral History Project – OSU LibraryOfficial bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coale, Sherri
1965 births
Living people
American women's basketball coaches
Basketball coaches from Oklahoma
College women's basketball players in the United States
High school basketball coaches in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Christian Lady Eagles basketball players
Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball coaches
People from Carter County, Oklahoma