On Thursday, Rice Athletics announced an extension for Rice Women’s Basketball Lindsay Edmonds which will keep her on South Main through the 2031 season.
Fresh off a regular-season conference championship, Rice Women’s Basketball has secured an extension for its head coach, Lindsay Edmonds, who just completed her fifth season with the Owls. A finalist for the WBCA National Coach of the Year Finalists, Edmonds is a rising star garnering national attention, making this a significant move for both parties as they invest in the future of South Main.
Rice Athletics issued a release, with comments from Athletic Director Tommy McClelland and Edmonds herself. As for McClelland, he said this:
“What Lindsay Edmonds has built here at Rice is truly special. In just five years, she has taken this program to heights we have never seen before, and she has done it the right way — by developing young women both on and off the court. We are incredibly fortunate to have her leading Rice Women’s Basketball, and I cannot wait to see what she accomplishes in the years ahead. Go Owls!”
Edmonds echoed those sentiments:
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to President DesRoches, Tommy McClelland, and the entire administration for their unwavering support. It is a tremendous honor to continue leading the Rice Women’s Basketball program, and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to coach at such a remarkable institution.
I appreciate the commitment our university and administration have shown to our student-athletes, and the trust placed in me to continue guiding this program into the future. This past season showcased the dedication, commitment and growth of our team, and our staff is excited about the opportunities ahead. We look forward to building on our success and continuing to make the Rice community proud. Go Owls!”
How We Got Here
The list of Edmonds’ accolades is long. She’s distinguished herself as a proven program builder, recruiter and winner, particularly when the stakes are highest in March. She is 102-60 at Rice, has one NCAA Tournament berth to her name and is 9-4 in conference tournament games with the Owls. When one puts up numbers like that, others take notice.
Edmonds’ name was featured on hot boards across the country, an indicator that there was at least some external interest in luring the Owls’ head coach away. None of those rumors came to fruition, with the Owls instead doing all they could to lock down Edmonds for the foreseeable future.
What’s Next
Rice Women’s Basketball is now set to have five more seasons with Edmonds, whose new extension will keep her with the Owls through the 2030-2031 season. That’s a long runway for a coach who has kept the program at the forefront of the conference since she arrived, persevering through injuries and a daunting Covid-19 season to keep winning.
The next step, both for Edmunds and for the program as a whole, is to chase that next tier of postseason success, transitioning from frequent postseason participants — an achievement in itself — to postseason contenders. If they’re going to take such a jump, Edmonds has proved she’s the right coach to bet on.