The West Virginia State women’s basketball program has announced its next head coach, who will take over following the departure of former leader Charles Marshall.
Former Big Ten standout and Division I assistant coach Whitney Bays will return to the state where she was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year at Huntington High School, taking over as head coach of the Yellow Jackets’ women’s basketball team.
“I’m incredibly honored and humbled to be named the head women’s basketball coach at WV State University,” Bays said. “This university has a strong historical foundation, and I’m excited to build on that tradition. My vision is to develop champions on the court, in the classroom, and in life. I look forward to connecting with our student-athletes, faculty and staff, alumni, and community. It’s good to be home. Go State!”
Following a stellar high school career, Bays began her college career playing at the University of Maryland before transferring to Purdue.
W-🏀 | Whitney Bays takes helm of WVSU Women’s Basketball 👇https://t.co/Z8JIzqXxJD pic.twitter.com/zNrCC8SjU6
— WVSU Athletics (@WVSU_GoJackets) June 23, 2025
In her first season at Purdue in 2013, Bays had a breakout performance, and she was named the Big Ten Sixth Woman of the Year.
Her senior season saw her selected to the All-Big Ten Second team after she posted a team-leading 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals. This included setting a new school single-season record for total rebounds with 304.
After embarking on an overseas playing career with Gigantes de Carolina in Puerto Rico, notably leading the team to a Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino (BSNF) championship in 2018.
Bays’ collegiate coaching career began as an assistant at Gardner-Webb in 2022, helping lead the team to its first NCAA tournament berth in 12 years.
The following year, she was hired as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis, spending the last two seasons with them before taking on the West Virginia State head coaching job.
West Virginia State finished the 2024 season with an 18-13 overall record and a 10-10 conference record. This extended their streak of consecutive winning seasons to four, marking their longest streak in the past quarter century.
