Head Coach Kristen Gillespie Agrees to Contract Extension Through 2027-28

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball head coach Kristen Gillespie has signed a one-year contract extension to remain the Redbirds' coach through the 2027-28 season, ISU Director of Athletics Kyle Brennan announced Tuesday.

Gillespie has led the Redbirds to a 111-70 record, including the program's first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth in 14 years during the 2021-22 campaign. Last season, Gillespie led the Redbirds to a 24-9 overall record, a MVC regular-season championship and a berth into the WNIT. For her efforts, Gillespie was named the MVC Coach of the Year becoming the first Illinois State selection since Stephanie Glance was awarded the honor in 2012.

"In six seasons as the leader of our women's basketball program, Kristen has returned it to prominence in the Missouri Valley Conference and on a national stage," Brennan stated. "She has been a tremendous leader and mentor for our student-athletes, building relationships on and off the court that will last well into the future. The team's tournament and regular-season championships the past two seasons and the postseason tournament appearances point to a bright outlook for continued success in the future, and we look forward to supporting her and her staff in that journey in any way we can."

When Gillespie was brought on six years ago, the team was coming off three-straight single-digit win seasons and a 2-28 campaign in 2014-15. Gillespie turned in ISU's first winning season in six years in her second season, went on to post back-to-back 19-win campaigns during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons before finally earning an invitation to the WNIT in 2021, the Redbirds' first postseason appearance in eight years. 

"I am incredibly grateful to President Tarhule, Kyle Brennan and Leanna Bordner for their belief in me and the vision we have for our program," Gillespie said. "Our staff and student-athletes have worked diligently to build something extremely special here and I am blessed to be their coach and leader. The past two seasons have been a lot of fun for us and for everyone involved with the program. I could not be more excited for the future of Illinois State women's basketball and am so appreciative of the support from the University and our awesome Redbird fans!"

Gillespie's squads have not finished below their MVC preseason poll predictions in each year under her leadership and have exceeded them in five out of six. Gillespie has coached 14 All-MVC selections at ISU including four MVC Newcomers of the Year (Simone Goods, TeTe Maggett, Juliunn Redmond, Paige Robinson), an MVC Sixth Player of the Year (Redmond), an MVC Most Improved Player (Mary Crompton), a two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Crompton), a MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player (Redmond) and most recently a MVC Jackie Stiles Player of the Year (Robinson). Robinson also just became the first Illinois State women's basketball player to be selected in the WNBA Draft in program history, when she was selected in the third round, 31st overall, by the Dallas Wings.

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