Penn State has fired head women’s basketball coach Carolyn Kieger, Talia Goodman of On3Sports first reported late Thursday afternoon.
Minutes after the initial report, Penn State athletics confirmed the news.
“We appreciate Coach Kieger’s commitment and passion she brought to Penn State Lady Lion Basketball,” athletic director Pat Kraft said in a statement. “Looking ahead, we remain committed to competing at the highest level, and we believe a change in leadership is necessary to propel the program toward sustained excellence.”
Kieger’s time at Penn State ends after seven seasons, with an overall 84-123 record.
The only time Kieger coached a winning team was in 2023-24, when PSU finished 22-13 and was in the NCAA Tournament picture for most of the season.
But a six-game losing streak in February led to the team missing out on March Madness, and a 21-37 (5-31) mark over the next two seasons led to Kieger’s dismissal.
Early in the 2024-25 season, a story published by Onward State detailed allegations of misconduct from 13 of Kieger’s former players between Penn State and Marquette, where she was the head coach for five seasons before being hired by Penn State.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Kieger’s tenure at Marquette was much better.
She finished 99-64 overall and 56-34 in the Big East, making the NCAA Tournament three time.
The NCAA Tournament is a place Penn State women’s basketball used to frequent, but hasn’t been in more than a decade.
The last time Penn State made it to the dance was in 2014, when Kieger’s predecessor, Coquese Washington, led PSU to the Sweet 16.
Washington was fired by Rutgers earlier this week after four seasons in Piscataway.
