A Look Back at the Seven ODU Women's Basketball Coaches

Old Dominion welcomed DeLisha Milton-Jones as the Monarchs next women's basketball head coach on April 17, opening a new chapter for the women's hoops program. With a bright future ahead for the program under Milton-Jones, we take a look back at the seven leaders who all made an impact at Old Dominion.
 
Coach                               (Years, Record)
Nikki McCray-Penson (2017-2020, 53-40)
During a time when the program needed an overhaul, McCray stepped up, bringing ODU back into the national spotlight. Through three seasons with the Monarchs, McCray posted a 53-40 record, which was highlighted by a 24-6 record in 2019-20. McCray led ODU to notable wins over Auburn, Rice, Western Kentucky and Cincinnati throughout those three seasons.
 
Heading into the final home game of the 2020 regular season, ODU remained undefeated at the Chartway Arena. ODU was also tabbed NCAA Team of the Week in February along with receiving seven votes in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The last time ODU received votes in the coaches poll was over a decade ago on December 18, 2008.

ODU was 8-23 in her first season. A year later, after bringing in eight recruits, ODU was 21-11 and in the WNIT, also posting one of the biggest turnarounds not only in program history, but in the nation. The 13+ win mark was the sixth-highest in the NCAA in 2018-19 and the second-best in program history. With the 21 wins, ODU earned an at-large bid to the WNIT, the program's seventh appearance in the WNIT and first postseason appearance since 2015. 
 
Karen Barefoot (2011-2017, 103-93)
An accomplished coach and player, Barefoot won over 100 games in Norfolk, compiling 103 victories. Through her six seasons, Barefoot led ODU to three WNIT appearances. She also helped the Monarchs transition to Conference USA from the Colonial Athletic Association in 2013. She also helped guide the Monarchs to their 1,000th program victory in 2015-16, becoming just the fourth school in NCAA Division I women's basketball to do so. One of Barefoot's greatest achievements at ODU is establishing the annual Education Day game. In 2017, Barefoot took the head coaching job at UNCW.
 
Wendy Larry (1987-2011, 559-203)
Serving as the Monarchs leader for 24 seasons, Larry is Old Dominion's all-time winningest coach, recording 559 wins. Her .722 all-time winning percentage, which includes stops at Virginia Wesleyan, Arizona and Old Dominion, ranks her as the 26th Division I winningest coach of all-time. She also ranks tied for 22nd in the category of most 20-win seasons as a head coach, while at ODU, ironically, notching 20.
 
Larry's teams reached 20 NCAA Tournaments, captured a NCAA record setting 17-straight Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Titles from 1992-2008, and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA tournament in 1997. Larry helped guide nine players to the WNBA. In 2011, Larry retired as head coach at Old Dominion.
 
Marianne Stanley (1977-1987)
Currently the head coach of the Indiana Fever on the WNBA, Stanley compiled a 10-year mark of 268-59 (.820) at ODU and helped put the Monarch women's basketball program on the map as ODU captured three national championships during those ten years. Overall, she had a 416-222 (.652) 21-year career coaching mark. Her teams won 30 or more games four times and enjoyed eight seasons of 20 or more wins at ODU.
 
The Monarchs won two AIAW national titles, when there was no NCAA Championships for women. In 1978-79, Stanley led ODU past LA Tech 75-65 in the finals, posting a 35-1 record that season. In 1979-80, the Monarchs took down Tennessee, 68-53 in the finals. Winning the 1985 NCAA Championship, Stanley led ODU to a 70-65 win over Georgia, its first and last NCAA Championship.
 
Two of her student athletes, Anne Donovan and Nancy Lieberman are both in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Lieberman was a two-time Wade Trophy winner and four of her student athletes, Lieberman, Donovan, Inge Nissen and Medina Dixon were Kodak All-Americans. Donovan was also the Naismith Player of the Year in 1983.
 
Following her time leading ODU, Stanley also served as head coach at the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, California-Berkeley and the University of Southern California. She guided Stanford to the NCAA Final Four in 1996.
 
Pam Parsons (1974-1977)
Laying the groundwork for ODU, Parsons led ODU through three seasons, recording a .625 win percentage. Her final season at the helm of the program, Parsons led the Monarchs to the WNIT semifinals. Also in 1976-77, she helped the Monarchs hold their opponents to 308 field goals, a program low to this day. Parsons compiled a 50-30 overall record. The Monarchs 54-game win streak started during the Parsons era in 1976, dating through the 1981 season with Marianne Stanley.  
 
Debbie Wilson (1973-1974)
During her time as head coach, Wilson recorded a .500 record, going 7-7. With in-state wins over Norfolk State, Virginia State VCU and Chowan, Wilson.
 
Mary Jackson (1969-1973)
The first coach in Old Dominion history, Jackson compiled a 43-27 record leading the Monarchs. In its first-ever season as a program, Jackson led ODU to a 16-2 record, winning the VFISW Championship.