Cincinnati names Katrina Merriweather next women’s basketball coach

Former Cincinnati women’s basketball player Katrina Merriweather will lead the program as its next head coach, Cincinnati athletics director John Cunningham announced Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

Merriweather replaces Michelle Clark-Heard, who the program parted with earlier this month after the Bearcats finished 9-21 on the season and last in the AAC (2-14).
Merriweather, 43, played four seasons for the Bearcats and became Cincinnati’s first women’s basketball player to advance to four consecutive postseason tournaments.
She then helped lead the program to its first NCAA Tournament win as a graduate assistant coach in 2001-02 before taking assistant coaching jobs at UIC, Purdue and Wright State. She was formerly the head coach at Wright State (2016-21) and Memphis (2021-22).
Per a records request from The Athletic, Merriweather’s new deal will be worth $3.25 million over six seasons.

Details on new Cincinnati WBB coach Katrina Merriweather's contract, via @TheAthleticWBB record request:
-6-yr, $3.15 mil deal
-deal starts at $500k in Yr1, up to $550k in Yr6 (2028-29)
-Staff salary pool starts at $650k, up to $700k; Increased investment over prev regime
CONT.
— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) March 30, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

What it means for Cincinnati, Merriweather

It’s a homecoming for Merriweather. The Indianapolis native played her college ball for the Bearcats from 1997 to 2001, appearing in 107 career games under Cincinnati Hall of Fame coach Laurie Pirtle. Merriweather also spent one season as a graduate assistant for the Bearcats during the 2001-02 season.

The hire marks a significant reset for Cincinnati women’s basketball ahead of the program entering the Big 12 for the 2023-24 season. Merriweather takes over for Clark-Heard, who was fired earlier this month after five seasons at Cincinnati and with one year remaining on a guaranteed contract. — Williams

Backstory

Merriweather told Memphis she was taking a position at another program Friday, Memphis vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics Laird Veatch said in a statement.

“Coach Merriweather has been transparent with us throughout the process over recent days, and she arrived at her decision despite our significant efforts to retain her,” Veatch’s statement said. “She also indicated that this decision was entirely independent from the circumstances surrounding the end of our season.”

A Memphis women’s basketball player was charged with assault by Bowling Green State University Police, Bowling Green athletics said in a statement Friday. That occurred following a postgame altercation in the handshake line after a Women’s National Invitational Tournament game between Bowling Green and Memphis on Thursday.

Memphis finished the season 22-11 overall (11-4 in the AAC), and fell to Bowling Green 73-60 in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

What they’re saying

“I’m elated to come back to the University of Cincinnati as the head coach of the women’s basketball program,” Merriweather said in a statement. “My time as a student-athlete and as a Bearcat were some of the greatest years of my life, and I’m excited to give back with everything I have to our current players like so many did for me. This is home for me, and I’m honored to wear the C-Paw once again. I’m thankful to John Cunningham and Maggie McKinley for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to working closely with our entire athletics department to compete for championships in the Big 12.”