Missouri State University has a new head women’s basketball coach. According to university officials, Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, most recently the associate head coach at Michigan State, has accepted the position.
Agugua-Hamilton will replace former MSU Lady Bears coach Kellie Harper, who stepped down from her position earlier this Spring to accept a position coaching at the University of Tennessee.
Agugua-Hamilton becomes the first African-American female head coach for Missouri State University.
According to a release from the university, Agugua-Hamilton's contract was approved by the MSU board of governors and it's a five-year agreement with a base salarry of $240,000.
According to Michigan State University’s website, Agugua-Hamilton spent two years coaching and recruiting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Prior to ODU, she spent two years at Indiana University as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and three years at Virginia Commonwealth University as a graduate assistant (2006-07) and assistant coach (2007-09), according to her bio on Michigan State’s site.
As a college athlete, Agugua-Hamilton was a standout player at Hofstra University, earning the position of captain for three years.
To find the new coach, MSU formed an advisory committee that included former Lady Bear player, Carly Stubblefield; senior associate Athletics director, Casey Hunt; faculty Athletics representative, Jim Hutter; director of student-athlete development & community engagement, A’dia Jones; and ex-officio member, Rachael Dockery, MSU General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, according to university officials.
The MSU Lady Bears advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament this year.