Missouri State women’s basketball has already had its best season under head coach Beth Cunningham. With the several openings in the region, it’s worth wondering if this coaching cycle will be the one someone tries to steal her away.
With the trajectory of Cunningham’s career, it seems like a matter of when, not if, it happens someday. She joined Missouri State with an outstanding résumé, and she’s continued to add to it. A Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth would make it that much sweeter.
An argument could be made that she should have been the successor to Muffet McGraw at Notre Dame, her alma mater, when the legendary coach retired. The Fighting Irish have proven they didn’t make the wrong choice as they’ve continued to be one of the best teams in the nation under coach Niele Ivey.
Several openings in the region, including Missouri and Arkansas, are likely to mention Cunningham’s name if it hasn’t already. The Columbia Daily Tribune listed Cunningham on a shortlist of potential candidates, along with former Drury and current Grand Canyon coach Molly Miller and former Lady Bears and Tennessee coach Kellie Harper.
It does feel a little bit early for Cunningham to depart just three years into the job while still without an NCAA Tournament bid (which could change this weekend). Amaka Agugua-Hamilton didn’t leave for Virginia until she led the Lady Bears to two NCAA trips, which would have been three if it hadn’t been for the pandemic. One of the appearances included a run to the Sweet 16.
Harper didn’t leave until she led the Lady Bears to a Sweet 16 appearance, while the stars also aligned for the beloved Lady Vol to take over at her dream job.
That’s not to discredit anything Cunningham has done, which has been remarkable in itself. When she became the Lady Bears’ coach, she was left with Paige Rocca and not much else. She has improved each season on the back of several different players. How she’s developed several players on the roster, whether grassroots players or transfers, helped Missouri State win a share of the Valley championship this season.
Cunningham has been a star, and the Lady Bears have been lucky to have her. They realized that over the summer when former athletic director Kyle Moats, in one of his final acts as AD, signed Cunningham to an extension that runs through 2029-30 and is worth $2.6 million. If she were to leave at the end of the season, she would owe north of $1.1 million.
Former Missouri coach Robin Pingeton made about $650,000 per year, and former Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors made about $700,000 annually. Mizzou AD Laird Veatch said the school must invest more into its women’s basketball program if it wants to be successful while ranking near the bottom of the SEC in coaching pay.
Another extension or a salary raise could be in the works at Missouri State. New AD Patrick Ransdell appears to have quickly grasped how much of a jewel the Lady Bears program is for the university, and it should immediately be the most competitive program it has when joining Conference USA next season.
If the bulk of the roster remains in Springfield moving forward, Cunningham has one that should compete for championships and NCAA berths for the next several years. Continued success, instead of rebuilding at struggling programs, may be more attractive when continuing to build a résumé for better, more established jobs than ones that are currently open.
One thing is for sure: Cunningham has been great for Missouri State, and the school should do everything it can to keep her on the Lady Bears’ sideline for as long as possible.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Beth Cunningham: Could Missouri State women’s basketball coach leave?
