HOUSTON – The University of Southern California announced the hiring of Texas Southern head women's basketball coach today (April 11). Cooper-Dyke leaves TSU after leading the program to unprecedented heights during her first year at the helm of the program.
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"Texas Southern University is ecstatic for the opportunity Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has to take over the USC women's basketball program," said TSU Director of Athletic Dr. Charles McClelland. "When we brought Coach Cooper-Dyke into our athletics program we asked her to recruit quality student-athletes, assist them with their progress towards graduation, and win championships. She was able to accomplish all of those goals during her first year at Texas Southern."
"We're extremely sad to see her leave but we're very excited about the foundation that our women's basketball program has built under her leadership and we look forward to our program continuing to succeed in the classroom and on the court."
In 2013 Cooper-Dyke guided the Texas Southern Lady Tigers who were 5-26 the previous year to their first-ever Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 16-2 league record.
TSU advanced to the SWAC Tournament's semifinals (as the tourney's No. 1 seed, a first in program history) and earned its first-ever WNIT berth. At 20-12 overall, the Lady Tigers set school records for season victories (20) and consecutive wins (15).
"This is a great opportunity for me but I will miss Texas Southern," said Cooper-Dyke. "I'm excited for the opportunity to go back to California and coach at my alma mater where I have so many fond memories, where I grew up as a person, as a woman, and as a basketball player."
A national search to find the next TSU head women's basketball coach will begin immediately.