Chattanooga Mocs women's basketball

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Chattanooga Mocs
Basketball current event.svg 2024–25 Chattanooga Mocs women's basketball team
Chattanooga Mocs logo.svg
University University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
First season1974–75
All-time record861–452 (.656)
Head coach Deandra Schirmer (1st season)
Conference SoCon
Location Chattanooga, Tennessee
Arena McKenzie Arena
(capacity: 10,928)
Nickname
  • Mocs (since 1976)
  • Mocettes (1974–76)
ColorsNavy, old gold, and silver [1]
     
NCAA tournament second round
2004
NCAA tournament appearances
1989, 1992, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024
Conference tournament champions
1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024
Conference regular-season champions
1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2024

The Chattanooga Mocs women's basketball team, formerly known as the Lady Mocs, represents the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in NCAA women's basketball competition. The team is coached by Deandra Schirmer, and play their home games at McKenzie Arena. [2]

Contents

The team has won 20 SoCon Tournament championships, five consecutively from 2013 through 2017, and have made 17 NCAA tournament appearances, most recently in 2024. The 2015–16 team began the season ranked 25th in the AP poll. [3]

Head Coaches

The Chattanooga women's team has had only eight coaches in their 50-season history: Grace Keith, Sharon Fanning-Otto, Craig Parrott, Wes Moore, Jim Foster, Katie Burrows, Shane Poppies, and Deandra Schirmer.

Grace Keith

Keith had settled into teaching for two years at Chattanooga's Hixson Elementary School, following her 12 years of coaching the girls' basketball team at Hixson High School. Title IX became law in 1972 and began affecting the mostly male-dominated college athletics across the US, allowing women to participate. Harold Wilkes, then athletic director for UTC and friend to Keith's superiors, offered her a job as head coach for the UTC Mocettes. After a few chaotic months of building a program, the former intramural Chattanooga team began its varsity era in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, eight years before the NCAA allowed women's basketball as a sport. In 1976, Keith retired from basketball to return to teaching. [4]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Tennessee-Chattanooga (1974–1976)
1974–75Tennessee-Chattanooga 8–11 
1975–76Tennessee-Chattanooga 13–12 
Tennessee-Chattanooga:21–23
Total:21–23 (.477)

Sharon Fanning-Otto

One of the players Keith recruited was Chattanooga High School standout Sharon Fanning, who also played and later coached both UTC's volleyball (until 1978) and women's basketball teams. Fanning also renamed the Mocettes as the Lady Mocs. In 1982, the NCAA began hosting women's championships. The Lady Mocs joined the Southern Conference, which only included East Tennessee State, Marshall and Appalachian State University. UTC claimed the first regular season title that year and went on to win five straight titles under Fanning's leadership. She went on to become an eight-year head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats in 1987 and retired in 2012, following a 17-year coaching career with the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs. [5]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Tennessee-Chattanooga (1976–1982)
1976–77Tennessee-Chattanooga 20–13 
1977–78Tennessee-Chattanooga 19–7 
1978–79Tennessee-Chattanooga 20–13 
1979–80Tennessee-Chattanooga 15–13 
1980–81Tennessee-Chattanooga 19–9 
Tennessee-Chattanooga:93–55 (.628) 
Tennessee-Chattanooga (SoCon)(1982–1987)
1981–82Tennessee-Chattanooga 14–173–2
1982–83Tennessee-Chattanooga 18–118–2
1983–84Tennessee-Chattanooga 26–59–1
1984–85Tennessee-Chattanooga 16–1311–1
1985–86Tennessee-Chattanooga 19–1010–2
1986–87Tennessee-Chattanooga 7–203–7
Tennessee-Chattanooga:100–7644–15 (.746)
Total:193–131 (.596)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Craig Parrott

Craig Parrott had spent several years coaching high school basketball teams before Fanning offered him an assistant coaching job at UTC in 1986. The following year, Fanning departed for Kentucky and Parrott was asked to fill the position. He became the first coach to take the program to the NCAA Tournament, after winning the SoCon Tournament in 1989. In the 1991–92 season, he again led the team to the NCAA, after sharing the regular season conference title and winning the SoCon. In 1998, he returned to coaching high school teams in Walker County, Georgia, and retired in 2014. [6]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Tennessee-Chattanooga (SoCon)(1987–1998)
1987–88Tennessee-Chattanooga 19–96–4
1988–89Tennessee-Chattanooga 19–125–5 NCAA Tournament, Round 1
1989–90Tennessee-Chattanooga 16–136–4
1990–91Tennessee-Chattanooga 20–88–2
1991–92Tennessee-Chattanooga 18–128–21st NCAA Tournament, Round 1
1992–93Tennessee-Chattanooga 15–139–3
1993–94Tennessee-Chattanooga 15–137–6
1994–95Tennessee-Chattanooga 10–176–8
1995–96Tennessee-Chattanooga 12–156–9
1996–97Chattanooga 12–156–9
1997–98Chattanooga 8–193–13
Chattanooga:164–14670–65 (.519)
Total:164–146 (.529)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Wes Moore

Wes Moore became the fourth Chattanooga women's basketball coach in 1998. In 15 seasons, he led the Lady Mocs to 12 SoCon regular season titles, nine SoCon tournament championships, and nine NCAA Tournament berths, becoming the winningest coach in UTC and SoCon history. The six-time SoCon Coach of the Year had an overall record of 358–113, 222–42 (SoCon). In 2013, he went on to coach the NC State Wolfpack. [7]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Chattanooga (SoCon)(1998–2013)
1998–99Chattanooga 10–178–107th
1999–2000Chattanooga 26–517–11st WNIT Second Round
2000–01Chattanooga 24–715–31st NCAA 1st Round
2001–02Chattanooga 23–814–41st NCAA 1st Round
2002–03Chattanooga 26–516–21st NCAA 1st Round
2003–04Chattanooga 29–320–01st NCAA 2nd Round
2004–05Chattanooga 25–519–11st WNIT Second Round
2005–06Chattanooga 27–418–01st NCAA 1st Round
2006–07Chattanooga 25–815–31st NCAA 1st Round
2007–08Chattanooga 29–418–01st NCAA 1st Round
2008–09Chattanooga 22–1017–31st WNIT First Round
2009–10Chattanooga 24–916–41st NCAA 1st Round
2010–11Chattanooga 17–1413–73rd
2011–12Chattanooga 22–1016–43rd WNIT First Round
2012–13Chattanooga 29–419–11st NCAA 1st Round
Chattanooga:358–113222–42 (.841)
Total:358–113 (.760)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Jim Foster

On May 9, 2013, Chattanooga announced the hiring of Jim Foster to become the new head women's basketball coach. Foster has 37 years of coaching experience at St. Joseph's, Vanderbilt, Ohio State University and Chattanooga, along with four Big Ten Conference coach of the year awards. Soon after taking the job at Chattanooga, Foster was voted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. [8] Foster retired from coaching at the end of the 2018 season.

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Chattanooga (SoCon)(2013–2018)
2013–14Chattanooga 29–418–01st NCAA 1st Round
2014–15Chattanooga 29–414–01st NCAA 1st Round
2015–16Chattanooga 24–812–21st NCAA 1st Round
2016–17Chattanooga 21–1112–21st NCAA 1st Round
2017–18Chattanooga 17–138–63rd WNIT 1st Round
Chattanooga:120–4067–10
Total:120–40 (.750)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Katie Burrows

In May 2018, Katie Burrows was named as the new head women's basketball coach. An alumna of Chattanooga, Burrows served as an assistant coach under Moore and Foster, respectively. [9]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Chattanooga (SoCon)(2018–2022)
2018–19 Chattanooga 14-178-63rd
2019–20 Chattanooga 11-1810-4T-1st
2020–21 Chattanooga 14–109-53rd
2021–22 Chattanooga 7–235-96th
Chattanooga:45-69 (.395)31–25 (.554)
Total:45-69 (.395)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Shawn Poppie

On March 30, 2022, Shawn Poppie was named as the new head women's basketball coach. Previously he was assistant coach under Kenny Brooks at the Virginia Tech since 2016. [10]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Chattanooga (SoCon)(2022–2024)
2022–23 Chattanooga 20–139–5T–2nd NCAA 1st Round
2023–24 Chattanooga 28–513–11st NCAA 1st Round
Chattanooga:48–1822–6
Total:48–18

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Deandra Schirmer

On April 4, 2024, Deandra Schirmer was named as the 8th head women's basketball coach. Previously she was the women's basketball head coach at Valdosta State from 2019 to 2024. [11]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Chattanooga (SoCon)(2024–present)
2024–25 Chattanooga 0–0
Chattanooga:0–0
Total:0–0

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA tournament results

The Mocs have appeared in seventeen NCAA Tournaments, with a combined record of 1–17.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1989 #12First Round#5 GeorgiaL 69–90
1992 #12First Round#5 ClemsonL 72–76
2001 #12First Round#5 ClemsonL 49–51
2002 #13First Round#4 Penn StateL 67–82
2003 #12First Round#5 South CarolinaL 54–68
2004 #10First Round
Second Round
#7 Rutgers
#2 Vanderbilt
W 74–69
L 44–60
2006 #12First Round#5 South CarolinaL 59–69
2007 #12First Round#5 BaylorL 55–68
2008 #12First Round#5 Kansas StateL 59–69
2010 #13First Round#4 Oklahoma StateL 63–70
2013 #11First Round#6 NebraskaL 59–72
2014 #11First Round#6 SyracuseL 53–59
2015 #7First Round#10 PittsburghL 40–51
2016 #12First Round#5 Mississippi StateL 50–60
2017 #13First Round#4 LouisvilleL 62–82
2023 #16First Round#1 Virginia TechL 58–33
2024 #14First Round#3 NC StateL 64–44

See also

References

  1. "Website Guidelines" . Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  2. Mocs Take Home Court Advantage to Heart
  3. Henley, Gene (November 3, 2015). "UTC women ranked 25th in preseason AP poll". timesfreepress.com. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  4. "Hall of Fame: Grace Keith Coached for Love of the Game". gomocs.com. February 16, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  5. "Alumni Highlights: Sharon Fanning-Otis '75". mocsconnect.com. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  6. Herpst, Scott (July 7, 2014). "Parrott looking forward to retirement". northwestgeorgianews.com. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  7. "NC State Wolfpack Athletics Staff: Wes Moore". gopack.com. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  8. "Jim Foster's next stop: Chattanooga". ESPN. Chattanooga, TN: Associated Press. May 9, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  9. "Chattanooga promotes Katie Burrows to replace Jim Foster". ESPN. Chattanooga, TN: Associated Press. May 25, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  10. "Shawn Poppie Named Women's Basketball Head Coach". gomocs.com. March 30, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  11. "Schrimer to lead Chattanooga women's hoops". ESPN.com. April 4, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.