July 30, 2024
Baylor extends contract for head coach Nicki Collen through 2030
From a 'whirlwind' first season, to becoming the Bears' steady leader, Collen's future in Waco is set
On Tuesday, Vice President and Director of Baylor Athletics Mack B. Rhoades IV announced a contract extension for head women’s basketball coach Nicki Collen. Collen’s contract with the Bears will now run through 2030.
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“We are thrilled to announce the contract extension for coach Nicki Collen,” said Rhoades. “Nicki has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to our student-athletes and the Baylor Family in her first three years with our women’s basketball team. She has assembled a strong and talented staff that is doing an excellent job in the development of our athletes. Her leadership, vision and dedication to excellence have significantly contributed to the continued success of our storied program.”
In May 2021, Collen became the fifth head coach in Baylor women’s basketball history, replacing Kim Mulkey, who left Waco to become LSU’s head coach. Since then, the Bears have take three trips to the NCAA Tournament and currently hold a 74-28 record under Collen.
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In an interview with Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast host Howard Megdal, Collen admitted that her first year at Baylor was “a bit of a whirlwind.” She continues, “I think it was simply a grind most of the year in terms of getting them to understand what we do, why we do it, how these can be successful doing it. And we came up a little short relative to what I thought that team could accomplish.”
But by 2022, Collen’s Bears were unstoppable. They clinched the Big 12 title, the 24th for the program, and three players were selected in the WNBA Draft. In the first round, NaLyssa Smith was selected second and Queen Egbo was selected 10th, while Jordan Lewis was selected 24th in the second round. It marked Baylor’s first Draft with two top-10 selections.
In the 2023-24 season, Collen and the Bears finished 13th in the final AP rankings, closing their campaign with a 26-8 record. Nationally, Baylor ranked eighth in the top 25 in three-point defense (26.3%), 16th in assists per game (7.3), 21st in scoring margin (14.4), and 22nd rebounding margin (7.3). Despite closing out the season with a Sweet 16 loss to USC, it was also Baylor’s 24th-straight season with 20-plus wins.
Among her successes at Baylor, Nicki Collen has guided three first-team, three second-team, and six honorable mention All-Big 12 selections. She’s also coached players to Freshman of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year titles.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead the women’s basketball program at Baylor University,” said Collen. “The trust and belief Mack Rhoades and Linda Livingstone have shown me from the beginning to sustain and continue to build on the storied success of the program is humbling. I’m incredibly proud of the way our staff and student-athletes have represented Baylor on and off the court and for fully embracing Baylor’s mission of preparing champions for life.”
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Following in the footsteps of Baylor’s undefeated 2012 team, the 2023-24 squad started the season 14-0, good enough for the second-best start in the team’s history and including the program’s fifth perfect non-conference record.
“The success of this past season has us motivated to accomplish even more, to be ‘Greater Than’ in all we do, and we will do so with the energy and support of the Waco and Baylor community who have embraced us wholeheartedly,” said Collen.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Baylor is sitting at the ninth on ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 list. The Bears will have another tough Big 12 season ahead, as they take on Iowa State, TCU and Kansas as well as conference newcomers Utah, Colorado and Arizona, among others.
