Report: Carolyn Kieger To Stay On As Lady Lions Head Coach
Penn State Athletics will retain women’s basketball head coach Carolyn Kieger for the 2025-26 season, according to the Centre Daily Times’ Jon Sauber. The move comes after an underwhelming season by the Lady Lions and an Onward State investigation into misconduct allegations against the coach.
In speaking to 15 former players and assistant coaches, Onward State heard claims that the culture Kieger instituted in her programs hurt many players’ mental health, made multiple players suicidal, and incorporated aspects of racism, body shaming, bullying, and more. Several players confirmed to Onward State they transferred from Penn State and Marquette, Kieger’s former program, because of Kieger’s conduct.
Under Kieger, the Lady Lions improved almost every season, reaching the semifinals of the WBIT in 2024 after a 22-13 season. Kieger won seven games during her first season in 2019-20, nine in 2020-21, 11 in 2021-22, and 14 in 2022-23.
However, Penn State couldn’t improve upon last year’s successes in the 2024-25 season. The Lady Lions’ high-water mark of the season came after an upset of then-No. 9 Ohio State, but they finished the season with a 10-19 record and missed the Big Ten Tournament with a 1-17 conference record.
Kieger received a contract extension from Penn State in 2022, though the details of that deal, including the length of the extension, were never disclosed.
Before coaching at Penn State, Kieger coached at her alma mater, Marquette. Kieger totaled a 99-64 record at Marquette, giving the Golden Eagles their first Big East title and three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in her final three seasons with the program. Kieger left the program in what multiple sources told Onward State they believed was a financial decision. Kieger always said she wanted to restore a struggling Lady Lions program to competing on a national scale.
Before taking on the head coach job at Marquette, Kieger was an assistant coach with Miami for several years after she served in various roles with Marquette and Miami in the two years after her collegiate career ended.
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