Former Redbird Katrina Beck enters her fourth season as an Assistant Coach for her alma mater Illinois State in 2025-2026.
Illinois State earned a fifth-straight postseason appearance and a third straight 20-win season in 2024-25, advancing to the WNIT Fab 4. Illinois State posted a 24-13 record and a 14-6 mark in MVC play, earning the program's fourth WNIT bid over the last four seasons.
The Redbirds posted an historic 2024-25 campaign on the offensive end of the floor. Illinois State ranked fourth in NCAA Division I and led the MVC with a 48.8 percent team field goal percentage, a mark that ranks third in program history. The Redbirds also ranked fourth in NCAA DI shooting 38.5 percent from behind the arc, leading the Valley and ranking third in program history. The Redbirds set a program record with 252 total three pointers. Illinois State ranked 32nd in NCAA DI averaging 76.0 points per game and scored a mark of 2,812 total points during the 2024-25 campaign that set a program record and ranks fourth in MVC history.
The Redbirds earned their fourth-straight postseason appearance and second-straight 20-win season in 2023-2024. Illinois State finished with a 22-12 overall record and 13-7 mark in MVC play while earning a WNIT bid for the third time in the last four seasons. The Redbirds advanced in the post season for the first time since 2013 with a Second-Round WNIT win over Charleston at CEFCU Arena, where the Redbirds hosted postseason basketball for the first time since 2013.
Beck helped guide guard Paige Robinson to an historic campaign during Paige Robinson's lone season with the Redbirds in 2022-2023 as she earned Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year honors and became the first WNBA draft pick in program history with her third round selection by the Dallas Wings. Robinson, also the MVC Newcomer of the Year after transferring from Division II Drury, finished third in the league in points per game, averaging 18.3 per contest in 2022-23 and notched the fourth most single season points for a Redbird with 584 points over her 32 appearances as a Redbird.
She joined the Redbirds after spending one season at Lindenwood University, returning to Normal following a four-year letterwinner career for the Redbirds from 2015-2019. With the Lions, Beck was responsible for planning and executing player development for combo guards through on court training and film sessions. In addition to scouting opponents, recruiting and practice preparation, Beck also coordinated team travel, managed gear and equipment needs and organized housing and orientation for student-athletes among multiple other day-to-day tasks.
Before landing her first full-time coaching position at Lindenwood, Beck spent two years as a graduate assistant for the Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball program across town. Beck assisted with day-to-day operations for the team, coordinating team schedules, editing film, recruiting and organizing practice plans. While on the Titans' staff, Beck reached the conference postseason tournament twice and made one appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
A four-year letterwinner, starter and team captain for Illinois State, Beck played for a pair of seasons under Kristen Gillespie in her first two seasons at the helm of the program. She finished her career fifth all-time in career starts and notched 200 assists and 357 rebounds over her four seasons in a Redbird uniform. Beck graduated from Illinois State with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in 2019 and earned her master's degree in sport management from Illinois State in 2021.
Beck and fellow Redbird Assistant Coach Mannie Robinson have a one-year-old boy, Tatum, born in December of 2023.
