Wyketha Harrell is entering her 1st season (2023-24)as head coach of the SBU women's basketball team.
Prior to joining the Bearcats she was an associate head coach for University of New Orleans for 8 seasons. Harrell handledthe preparation and organization of recruiting, the New Orleans women’s basketball camps and clinics, game scheduling, development of post players and forwards and game preparation and scouting reports.
The highlight of the time span on the Lakefront wasthe 2019-20 season, after the Privateers advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament for the fourth straight year. They defeated high powered Ole Miss and Memphis in the same season.The group also set the school record for most conference victories in a single-season,recorded the most wins since the 1992-93 campaign, and had the longest home win record in program history.
Harrell, as the recruiting coordinator, helped bring in the2020 recruiting class which isone of the highest rated groups the program has brought in, dating backs to the early 2000’s.Under Harrell's tutelage, Shania Woods earned Southland Conference Third Team honors in 2018-19 and honorable mention in 2017-18. Woods also finished her career by winning All-LSWA Third Team recognition. Her sister Asia, also a Privateer, followed her footsteps and earned All-Louisiana and All-Conference honors following the 2019-20 season. Harrell also develop high powerguards Randi Brown, Dee Dee Pryor, Rehema Franklin, and current GA Jomyra Mathis, All Southland Conference players
Harrell joined the Privateers after a three-year stint at Kent State as an assistant coach. While at Kent State, Harrell played a vital role in the academic success of the women's basketball program. Her daily contact with the student-athletes and the Athletic Academic Service staff helped the team to attain its highest team GPA in each of the last four seasons along with a perfect graduation rate ending in 2015. She also recruited and coached Cici Shannon, a 6-foot-4 center, who earned Academic All-MAC honors and was a MAC All-Conference honoree (3rd team) and went on to sign a contract to play with Reims Basket in France.
Prior to Kent State, Harrell was an assistant at the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 2007-2012. During her time with the Kangaroos, Harrell helped guide the program to their only two postseason appearances in school history. Harrell’s final season at UMKC was historic, as the Kangaroos finished with a 22-11 record, marking only the second 20-win season in school history, including the most road (six) and neutral wins (four). Under former Texas Tech Head Coach, Candi Whitaker, the Kangaroos earned their programs first postseason appearance ever, to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament in 2012.
UMKC blossomed into one of the Summit League’s top teams with the aid of Harrell, bringing in the No. 84 recruiting class in the nation in 2012 and the No. 55 ranked recruiting class to UMKC in 2011, including No. 77 Ashli Hill. In the classroom, Harrell aided in leading the Kangaroos to one of their most successful seasons as nine 'Roos were named to The Summit League Winter/Spring Academic All-League Team, six were named to the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence and two were named Distinguished Scholars. Harrell has also been a part of two international trips by the UMKC women's basketball program, to the Bahamas in 2009 and to Costa Roca in 2011.
Harrell joined the Kangaroos after spending the 2006-07 season as an assistant coach at Missouri Southern State University.Harrell helped lead the Lions to a 14-13 overall record, including a win over No. 2 Missouri Western. Prior to joining the MSSU staff, Harrell also served as an assistant coach for one season at Garden City (Kan.) Community College.
Harrell was a four-year collegiate player, starting her career at Rockhurst University where she started 14-of-24 games as a freshman. After transferring to Missouri Southern for her sophom*ore season, the Kansas City, Mo., native was part of a turnaround that saw the Lions improve from a 10-17 record the season prior to her arrival to a school-best 19-9 overall record during her senior season. She averaged 12.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest, shooting a team-high 57.5 percent from the floor en route to an All-MIAA accolade.
In addition to her coaching experience, Harrell worked as an Educational Assistant with the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King. She played an active part in her local community by participating with UMKC Association for Women of Color and serving as a member of the Chancellor's Advisory Board to the Women's Center (CABWC), WIN for KC (Kansas city non-profit), National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the Black Coaches Association (BCA), A Step Up Assistant Coaches Symposium, and the Women Coaches Academy (WCA), showing her dedication to women in athletics and professional development.
Harrell received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with an emphasis in Kinesiology from Missouri Southern State University in 2004. She earned her Master of Arts in Sport Administration from Kent State University in May 2021.
Harrell has one son, Elijah Harrell-Lee.
