The Chattanooga Mocs begin a search for the eighth women’s basketball head coach in program history Tuesday with the announcement of Shawn Poppie taking the same role at Clemson. Poppie went 48-18 in two seasons with the Mocs capturing one Southern Conference regular season and two tournament titles with two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Poppie came on board on March 30, 2022, after a national search. His impact bringing #RingCity back to national prominence was obvious from the outset.
“We thank Shawn for his dedication to our program and community,” Vice Chancellor for Athletics Mark Wharton stated. “He bought in to all that makes Chattanooga such a special place and excelled. We are thankful for his efforts and wish the absolute best to him, Regina and their children as they make this next step in their journey.
“Chattanooga is a better place for having them in our family.”
The Mocs posted back-to-back 20-win seasons in the Poppie Era. His teams won 72.7 percent of their games overall and 78.6 percent in the SoCon, going 22-6 over that span and 6-0 in the conference tournament.
His 2024 squad went 28-5 with a nationally ranked win over Mississippi State in November. The ladies started 11-3 before the calendar flipped to 2024 and closed 17-2, including Saturday’s NCAA Tournament loss at No. 11 N.C. State.
The program’s status with 23 SoCon Championships in the regular season, 20 in the postseason and 17 NCAA Tournament appearances makes it one of the most attractive and premier coaching opportunities available in any year, much less the current 2024 landscape.
“It’s an exciting process,” Wharton added. “Ideally, this is not something we’re doing every two years, but we know the right person will continue to grow our brand, both regionally and nationally. The foundation in place is always going to draw interest from top candidates. We are prepared to move diligently in identifying our next head coach.”
That foundation includes several top tier pieces. The facilities between McKenzie Arena and the Chattem Basketball Practice Facility are second to none considering the current facelift to the arena includes a brand-new locker room and meeting space. Add to that a long-standing commitment to academic excellence along with an NIL partnership that provides
education and opportunities in that new world as well as strong community involvement.
“This is an extremely important program. For years, our ladies have outdrawn men’s teams in our league. We do not take it for granted; that support deserves the best we can offer. I’m excited to get with our staff and bring the next great coach to our community.”
The process begins right away for Wharton and his hiring committee. There will be no updates prior to announcing the eighth ball coach to lead the program.
“We’ll move as quickly as we can,” Wharton concluded. “It will not be a rushed decision, but it will be timely to allow the next leader an opportunity to build on our foundation of excellence.”