Meet 16 out gay and lesbian head coaches in D1 women’s college basketball

A decade ago, there was only one publicly out head coach in D1 women’s college basketball: Sherri Murrell of Portland State. When she left the team in 2015, there were none until Jennifer Azzi of San Francisco came out (and then quickly left the team).

Now 10 years later, there are tons of out gay women coaching NCAA Division 1 women’s college basketball.

Outsports has identified at least 16 coaches — all women — who are publicly out. A couple are currently in the AP women’s basketball Top 25 — today Iowa is at No. 11 and North Carolina is at No. 12.

Other coaches lead programs with a shot at their mid-major conference title, while others are rebuilding.

There are plenty of other out head coaches in women’s basketball at other levels, like C White at Bentley. Here are the 16 current head coaches of NCAA D1 women’s college basketball programs. And if we missed someone, let us know at team@outsports.com.

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Colleen Mullen, Albany

Colleen Mullen is now in her eighth season as the head coach of the Albany Great Danes women’s basketball team. In that time she’s now led the team to four straight winning seasons, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament several years ago. Under her leadership, Albany has a stellar 96-36 record in the last four seasons. She and her wife, Lauren, have three children.

Becky Burke, Arizona

Becky Burke is now starting her head coaching stint with the University of Arizona this season. The Wildcats got off to a hot 6-0 start to the 2025-26 season. Last season she led Buffalo to the WNIT title. While at Buffalo in 2023, she publicly announced her engagement to marry. She and her wife, Savannah, have one son, Banks.

Monique LeBlanc, Brown

After nine seasons as the head coach at Merrimack, LeBlanc took over the Brown women’s basketball team in 2020. She had turned around a struggling Merrimack Warriors team, posting a winning record each of her final three seasons. Having grown up in Rhode Island, LaBlanc has now returned to her home state with her wife, Liz, and two daughters.

Kristin Haynie, Central Michigan

Kristin Haynie brings success as a college and WNBA player to her role as head women’s basketball coach for the Central Michigan Chippewas. This is her first head coach gig after assistant stints at Eastern Michigan, Michigan State and with Central. After improving to 12-16 in her second season, for 2025-26 she had the team off to a winning 5-3 start.

Doshia Woods, Denver

Doshia Woods took her first head coaching gig in 2020 when she was named coach of the Denver Pioneers women’s basketball team. She’d previously held assistant coach jobs at various school, most notably Tulane for a decade. In her first five full seasons as head coach, Woods has failed to lead Denver to a winning record in any season.

Kristen Gillespie, Illinois State

Kristen Gillespie has found a lot of success coaching the Illinois State Redbirds. She’s run off seven straight winning seasons after her initial campaign with the team almost 10 years ago. She’s notched an appearance in the NCAA tournament, as well as the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference coach of the year.

Jan Jensen, Iowa

Jan Jensen was the assistant head coach under Lisa Bluder as the Iowa Hawkeyes and Caitlin Clark captured the attention of many new fans from 2022 to 2024. In her first season as head coach, Jensen led Iowa to a first-round tournament win. She and Iowa started the 2025-26 season with eight straight wins and a Top-20 AP ranking.

Allison Guth, Loyola Chicago

Allison Guth is in her fourth season coaching the Loyola Chicago Ramblers. Guth is aiming to do what she couldn’t do at Yale and take the Ramblers to the NCAA Tournament. However, at Yale she was able to post five straight winning seasons, winning the WBI Championship in 2018. Loyola Chicago has never participated in March Madness. Guth and her wife, Jessie, have two sons, Ray and Garvey.

Courtney Banghart, North Carolina

Courtney Banghart was a successful coach at Princeton before taking the UNC job and being succeeded by Carla Berube. At North Carolina, Banghart has led the Tar Heels to the NCAA tournament each year it’s been hosted, making two Sweet Sixteens.

Carla Berube, Princeton

Longtime fans of UConn are certainly familiar with Carla Berube. Berube was a part of the 35-0 Huskies national championship team with superstar Rebecca Lobo. Previously at Tufts, she led the Jumbos to four straight Division III Sweet Sixteens, including a spot in the 2015-16 National Championship game. In the four seasons she’s coached the Princeton Tigers in which there has been a March Madness, she’s led the team to the tournament each year, winning the Ivy League tournament championship three of those years.

Kate Paye, Stanford

Kate Paye took over from legend Tara VanDerveer as Stanford head women’s basketball coach last season. It wasn’t a great initial outing, as Paye and Stanford barely avoided a losing season. Paye (who was actually my classmate at Stanford) had been an assistant coach to VanDerveer for nearly two decades before her (yikes) 16-15 maiden record and a 10th-place finish in the ACC. Kate Paye and her wife, Raquel, have three children, Cass, Anne, and Lauren.

Karen Asten, UT-San Antonio

Karen Aston enters her fifth season as the head women’s basketball coach for the UTSA Roadrunners. Last season, UTSA had one of the team’s best seasons ever, going 26-5 and finishing atop the AAC regular season standings. Aston has previously discussed the adoption journey she and her wife, Claire, to adopt their daughter, Marilyn.

Kate Achter, Western Michigan

Kate Achter takes over the role of head coach of the Western Michigan women’s basketball team for the 2025-26 season. Previously she was head coach at Detroit-Mercy, where she had a winning record over the last two seasons. She played college basketball for out coach Curt Miller at Bowling Green. Achter and her wife,

Heather Ezell, Wyoming

Since taking the reins at Wyoming — her first college head coaching job — Heather Ezell has excelled. Each of her first three seasons leading the Cowgirls, the team has posted a winning record and earned a postseason berth. In 2022, Ezell publicly welcomed her new baby girl, sharing a photo of their family of three. “Miss Dylan Canyon made her early debut on 12/21 at 4lbs 8oz,” Ezell wrote. “Christmas came early for us, we are so in love.”

Billi Chambers, Xavier

Billi Chambers is now coaching her fourth Division 1 women’s basketball team. She was an assistant coach at UMBC and Virginia Tech before landing the head coach job at Iona, where she led the Gaels to their only two NCAA Tournament appearances. She and Xavier have struggled in the Big East Conference, winning only one conference game her first two seasons. Their 5-3 start to the 2025-26 season created some hope for the team headed into conference play. Billi Chambers played for Hofstra. She is now married to her wife, Mel.

Delila Eshe, Yale

When Yale hired Delila Eshe as their new head women’s basketball coach in 2022, the athletic director welcomed Eshe, “her wife Way Veney, and their children, Wray Lee and Wren Rose to New Haven.” A former player for the Florida Gators, Eshe was drafted by the Seattle Story in 2006. As head coach at Yale, the Bulldogs’ season record has regressed, finishing 4-23 last season. It’s the first college head coach position for Eshe.

As the popularity of women’s basketball continues to grow, it’s so important to see so many coaches leading their teams, and being present in their conferences — including the Big Ten, ACC and others — as an out proud leader.

It makes coming out for players who are gay, lesbian, bi and trans that much easier.

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