University of Memphis Athletics
Hana Haden Named Head Coach of Memphis Women's Basketball
Mar 26, 2026 | Women's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Ed Scott announced Thursday the hiring of Hana Haden as the head coach of the women's basketball program.
Haden, the 2026 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, comes to Bluff City from Georgia Southern where she went 23-8 and 16-2 in conference play. Despite being picked 10th in the preseason coaches' poll, the Eagles captured their first regular season title in 25 seasons, earning a bid to the WBIT.
"We are thrilled to welcome Hana Haden to the Tiger Family as the 14th head coach of our women's basketball program," Scott said. "Hana has demonstrated a sustained ability to win at every level and lead her teams to postseason success throughout her career. She embraces the opportunity at Memphis and aligns fully with our vision of competing for championships. Hana is a proven leader who brings exceptional drive, determination and energy, and we are confident she will elevate our program. We are excited about the future of Memphis Women's Basketball under her leadership and look forward to building a championship-caliber program."
The 2025-26 season marked an incredible turnaround for a program that, in the season prior to Haden's arrival in 2024, went 4-14 in SBC play. In her inaugural season in Statesboro, she went 16-18 (6-12 Sun Belt), winning seven of the final 11 games including two conference tournament wins for the first time since GSU joined the Sun Belt in 2014-15.
The Eagles were one of the best Group of Five teams in college basketball in 2025-26, ranking 73rd in the NET and finishing 17th in College Insider's Mid Major Top 25. They finished 77th nationally in offensive efficiency, per BartTorvik.com, behind rankings of 63rd in two-point field goal percentage (49.7%) and 69th in turnover rate (19.7%).
Senior wing Kishyah Anderson had a breakout season in her first year under Haden in 2025-26. Anderson was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year behind 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game and shooting splits of 50.6% from the field, 46.7% from distance and 76.2% from the line.
"I am honored and grateful to be named the head women's basketball coach at the University of Memphis," said Haden. "This university represents a city and a state with an incredible passion for basketball, and I look forward to building a championship program that embodies the pride and toughness to reflect that passion.
"I want to thank Dr. Bill Hardgrave, Athletic Director Dr. Ed Scott, and search committee members Haley Prewett and Tim Duncan for their trust and belief in me as the next leader of Memphis Women's Basketball. I look forward to meeting all of Tiger Nation and can't wait to get to work!"
A consummate winner at multiple levels of collegiate basketball, Haden's all-time record across 10 seasons as a head coach is 224-91 (.711). She spent the 2023-24 season at Georgia Southwestern State, achieving a 29-4 overall record and a 16-2 mark in the Peach Belt Conference. The 2023-24 WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year, Haden led the Hurricanes to the Peach Belt tournament title and the NCAA Southeast Region crown, the program's first NCAA Division II Elite Eight berth.
From 2018-23, Haden coached at Moberly Area Community College, making five NJCAA Region 16 tournament appearances in as many years. She was named to the WBCA's 30 Under 30 Coaches four times, and 28 of her 45 players at MACC went on to compete at the senior college level.
The talent that Haden developed in Moberly would go on to flourish at multiple collegiate levels. Of the 28 student-athletes who advanced their playing careers, 19 did so at the Division-I level, totaling 997 games and 7,239 points after departing MACC. DeAnna Wilson tallied 1,585 points at Illinois State, the seventh-most in school history, and Indya Green totaled 1,387 across stops at Missouri State, Georgia Southern and Southern Illinois.
Haden also won a Southland Conference regular season championship as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Lamar in 2017-18. Her head coaching career began at the age of 23 at Harris-Stowe State University, an NAIA school in St. Louis. She led the Hornets to back-to-back 19-win seasons, their first consecutive winning seasons in 29 years.
A native of Springfield, Missouri, Haden played two seasons at Western Carolina following stints at University of Missouri-St. Louis and Mineral Area College. She helped guide the Catamounts to their first Southern Conference semifinals in six years and graduated cum laude in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in communication with concentrations in journalism and broadcast journalism.
Haden's introductory press conference is set for Wednesday, April 1, at Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The event is open to the public, and further information will be announced in the coming days.
Season ticket deposits for the 2026-27 women's basketball season are available now and can be made HERE.
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