Wichita State women’s basketball coach Keitha Adams leaves Shockers to return to UTEP

Keitha Adams informed Wichita State on Tuesday afternoon that she is departing the program to return as the head coach of the UTEP women’s basketball team.

Adams just wrapped up her sixth season with the Shockers, which was arguably her most successful, as the team reached its first American Athletic Conference tournament semifinals by knocking off No. 1 seed South Florida and earned a WNIT appearance.

“We appreciate and value coach Adams’ contributions to our program and her support of the young women who have developed within it,” WSU athletic director Kevin Saal said in a statement. “Coach Adams and her staff have served Wichita State University well and we wish her and her family the best in their future endeavors.”

She finished with an 80-93 record at Wichita State, where the team struggled to gain traction in the AAC. After posting a 9-7 record in league play in Adams’ first season, WSU posted five straight losing seasons with a combined record of 25-50 in AAC play.

Adams had one year left on her contract extension, which ran through the 2023-24 season, with a base salary of more than $375,000. According to her contract, Adams owes WSU a total of $250,000 within 30 days of Tuesday, although it is commonplace in coaching changes for the university to cover the costs of a coach joining their program.

Adams will be welcomed back with open arms in El Paso, where she remains the winningest coach in program history. She was the head coach at UTEP from 2001-17, winning 284 games, three Conference USA regular season championships, one C-USA tournament title with two NCAA tournament appearances and two WNIT appearances.

“Today is a very special and unique day for me,” Adams said in a UTEP press release. “I’m thrilled and grateful to be returning as the head women’s basketball coach at UTEP. The love I have for this university, community and program runs deep in my soul.”

In WSU’s press release on Tuesday, Saal said WSU will launch an “immediate comprehensive and efficient national search.”

Saal will look for a coach who will attempt to bring the Shockers back to prominence, as it has been nearly a decade since they appeared in three straight NCAA tournaments from 2013-15.