Raegan Pebley states her case to return as TCU women’s basketball coach
Raegan Pebley is confident that she can get the TCU women’s basketball program turned around after the Frogs had their worst season in 26 years.
TCU finished 6-22 on the season, the program’s worst record since a 2-25 campaign in 1995-96. The Frogs closed the year with a 68-48 loss to West Virginia in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament on Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium.
“I love TCU,” Pebley said. “Seriously, Texas Christian University is the best university in the country. It’s been one of the best experiences and being a part of these women’s lives and people I get to work with every day. I’m confident that we know how to get it back to where it needs to be.
“There’s been some rough things that are obvious and there’s been some hard things that are less obvious. What we know is our truth. We know how to get there, what needs to be corrected, and we’ll definitely persevere to do it.
“This is a conference where you’ve seen teams be able to vacillate top to bottom quickly. It definitely requires a lot of hard work and grit, not just by players but the coaching staff and every support staff member that pours into it. There’s been a lot poured into this program and we just want to continue to bring pride to TCU.”
Pebley has three years left on her contract but athletic director Jeremiah Donati has not publicly commented on Pebely’s job status yet. The two are expected to meet in the coming days to discuss the program’s future and whether it includes Pebley returning for a ninth season.
The school extended Pebley’s contract following the 2019-20 season after the Frogs had a NCAA Tournament-caliber team. That team didn’t experience March Madness, though, as it was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
TCU officials granted an extension with the belief that Pebley had turned the program around. The 2019-20 season marked the third straight 20-plus win season for the Frogs.
TCU regressed last season with a 10-15 record, which partly could be blamed on issues caused by the pandemic. There were hopes of a rebound season this year but those never came to fruition.
TCU had a signature victory over then-No. 18 Texas A&M 87-75 on Dec. 12, and started Big 12 play 2-3. But the Frogs lost their next 13 games to close the regular season and extended the losing streak to 14 games with the loss Thursday night in the Big 12 tournament.
Of the 14 losses, 10 were by at least 10 points including Thursday night. The Frogs shot just 27.5% from the field and had 24 turnovers. They were trailing 34-11 at halftime and ended up failing to reach the 50-point mark for the sixth time this season.
“It’s been a struggle throughout the season,” Pebley said. “This is not the type of season this group had worked for, had visions for, but I’m really, truly thankful for how they soldiered on.
“I know they didn’t win all the battles they wanted this season, but they have won a lot of wars throughout their careers. They have a lot to be proud of and I’m proud of the people they are and the graduates that they’ll be from TCU.”
For Pebley, this is the worst season record-wise she’s had since going 3-24 in 2005-06 at Utah State. She also saw her career record dip below the .500 mark (289-290) with Thursday’s loss.
At TCU, Pebley is 133-115 overall.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
