Basketball

Ole Miss women's basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin glorifies God after upsetting Kentucky

By Joshua Doering Jan 17, 2019
Mississippi head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

Only six seasons into her career as a head coach, Yolett McPhee-McCuin has already demonstrated an ability to turn programs around quickly.

Prior to hiring McPhee-McCuin in 2013, the Jacksonville University women’s basketball team only had three winning seasons in its 14-year history. In five seasons as Jacksonville’s head coach, McPhee-McCuin won 60 percent of her games and led the Dolphins to their first NCAA Tournament appearance.

McPhee-McCuin, who was born in the Bahamas and played most of her college career at Rhode Island, took on a new challenge when she was named the Ole Miss head coach on April 4, 2018. The Rebels haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2007 and went 9-39 in SEC play the past three seasons.

After losing her first three conference games, McPhee-McCuin got her first SEC win on Sunday when the Rebels went on the road and defeated No. 16 Kentucky, 55-49. It was the program’s first win at Kentucky since 2007 and its first road win over a ranked opponent since 2011.

“We weren’t afraid of coming in and playing someone that was ranked,” McPhee-McCuin told the SEC Network after the game. “That’s what’s good about a young team. I don’t even know if they knew [Kentucky] was ranked.”

Following the win, the coach sent out a tweet giving thanks to God.

McPhee-McCuin is not shy about sharing her faith and expressing her gratitude to God through social media.

If her past success is any indication, the upset win over Kentucky is just the beginning for McPhee-McCuin and the Ole Miss women’s basketball program.

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