COLUMBIA, Mo. – After 15 seasons at the helm of the Missouri women’s basketball program, Robin Pingeton announced Wednesday, Feb. 26 that at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, she would be stepping down from her position as head coach. Having been the face of the Tigers since the 2010-11 season, Pingeton has been responsible for leading the team throughout its history in the Southeastern Conference and pushing Missouri into numerous postseason opportunities.
Early Days
At age 56, the Iowa native has experienced everything basketball could offer, having been a part of the sport for 39 years; 32 of which as a head coach. Getting her start at her alma mater St. Ambrose, Pingeton spent eight winning seasons with the Fighting Bees that resulted in five NAIA Division II tournament appearances.
In 2000, she got her first opportunity in the NCAA, joining Bill Fennelly’s staff as an assistant coach for Iowa State. After four years, Pingeton hit the road once more, joining the Missouri Valley Conference as head coach of Illinois State. Through her seven seasons with the Redbirds, she accrued an impressive record of 144-81, turning around the program and bringing them to the NCAA tournament twice in ’05 and ’08. Hitting their stride in the 2007-08 season, Pingeton and Illinois State won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title three straight times.
Joining the Tigers
Following her success at the mid-major level, Pingeton soon found herself at the helm of the Missouri Tigers whilst the program was still in the Big 12. Picking up the reins in the 2010-11 season after Cindy Stein’s departure, Pingeton was given the task of resurrecting a program that hadn’t made it to the NCAA tournament since ’06. The growing pains proved to be tough as in Missouri’s final two seasons in the Big 12, Pingeton and the Tigers went 7-27 in conference play, finishing 10th both times.
In 2012 Missouri made the move to the Southeastern Conference, setting the table for some of Pingeton’s best work to come. The now-established coach quickly got to work, and in her first three seasons got enough from her Tigers to warrant appearances in the WNIT.
The Glory Days
Though it proved to be a slow build, Missouri eventually broke through. Having brought in notable names like Jordan Frericks and Sophie Cunningham, Pingeton and the Tigers got to work, finishing tied for third in the SEC in ’17 and ’18 and ranked No. 14 in the AP poll in ’19. However, whatever success Missouri had in the regular season seemed to wane come March, as in its four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from ’16 to ’19, the Tigers could only make it as far as the Round of 32.
Through that stretch Pingeton and Missouri went 90-37; 39-23 in conference play. Having sustained success in college basketball is an accomplishment in its own right, but what happened when it was time to step to the next level? Pingeton and the Tigers didn’t get the job done, and so what remains the best years for Pingeton and Missouri could be argued as regular for other programs.
Downward Trajectory
Once the stars of the Cunningham era graduated, Missouri experienced regression. Off the back of Pingeton’s best season 2018-19, she experienced her worst the following year. Though the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic halted the postseason for college basketball, The Tiger’s 9-22 season likely wouldn’t have warranted a spot anywhere near tournament play.
Then Missouri became what it is today: a program with the requisite talent to succeed, but never able to win consistently at the highest level. Of course, the last five seasons haven’t been forgettable. Missouri returned to the WNIT from ‘21 to ’23 and experienced single-game thrills like its overtime 70-69 victory against No. 1 South Carolina. Those moments can never be taken away from Pingeton.
Recapping a Career
Missouri’s history in college women’s basketball wouldn’t be what it is without Robin Pingeton. Both the good and the bad. Yet it’d be unfair to say that Pingeton’s success should be defined by just the wins and losses.
Pingeton had a hand in creating stars like Cunningham and Frericks and developing talented players like Cierra Porter, Aijha Blackwell, Hayley Frank and more. She guided a program from the bottom of its old conference to the upper tier in its new one. Simply put, Missouri’s SEC run might have looked a lot different had someone with less experience and less to give had been in charge.