Coach Beth Jillson: Head Coach @ Texas Women's University

The 2019-20 season marks Beth Jillson’s 13th year as the head coach of the Texas Woman’s University basketball team. In 12 seasons, Jillson has guided the Pioneers to an overall record of 177-163 and became the all-time winningest basketball coach in Pioneer basketball history when TWU defeated Texas A&M-Commerce Dec. 13, 2011 by a score of 72-58. Jillson has led the Pioneers to the program’s only NCAA National Tournament appearances, 2010-11 and 2015-16, as well as the basketball’s first LSC Championship in 2010-11. Under Jillson, the Pioneers have garnered several postseason awards including: 121 Lone Star Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll selections, 34 LSC Players of the Week, 21 D2ADA Academic Achievement Awards, 20 All-LSC selections, four All-LSC Defensive Team honorees, four All-Region picks, three WBCA Academic Top-25 rankings (including the highest team GPA in school history with a 3.595 in 2014-15), two LSC Newcomers of the Year, two LSC Freshman of the Year, one LSC Defensive Player of the Year, one LSC All-Academic Team award and one Academic All-District distinction. TWU finished the 2016-17 season with an 18-11 record, 11-9 in the Lone Star Conference, 8-5 at home, 7-5 on the road and 3-1 at a neutral site. Last year was the Pioneers’ fourth-straight season with at least 16 wins, and TWU advanced to the Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament for the 14th time and seventh in the last eight years. Records set during Jillson’s tenure are highlighted by: 12 individual records (single-game, single-season or career); 11 team records (single-game or single-season); best start in school history (13-2 start in 2015-16); longest win streak (11 straight wins from Nov. 24, 2015-Jan. 5, 2016); and most wins (22 in 2010-11). Jillson came to TWU on August 17, 2007, with an extensive amount of collegiate basketball coaching and administrative experience. From July 2006 - June 2007, she was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Charleston Southern University, an NCAA Division I school in Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to her stint at CSU, she was the assistant coach for one year (2005-06) at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, New Mexico. From 2002-05, she worked for the Oklahoma State University women’s basketball program. After a one-year term as the Cowgirls’ graduate assistant coach, she stepped up to become OSU’s Director of Basketball Operations for two seasons (2003-05). Jillson earned a Master of Science degree in Exercise Science from OSU in May 2005. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Jillson played college basketball at Weatherford (Texas) College for two seasons (1997-99) before playing two years (1999-01) at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. A talented shooting guard, Jillson served as team captain and helped lead her team to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight in 2000. She earned American Southwest All-Conference and Academic All-Conference honors in 2001. After completing her playing career in the winter of 2001, Jillson stayed with the HSU program as the Cowgirls’ student assistant coach for the 2001-02 season. In the spring of 2002, she completed her bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science and briefly filled the role as HSU’s interim head coach before leaving for Oklahoma State. Jillson is a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and has also participated in the 2001 Baden Coaching Clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada. From 1999-2005, she was the Co-Director of Camp Goodenough, a summer basketball camp hosted by Jillson’s mentor, Julie Goodenough. Jillson also holds AAU coaching experience. Jillson and her husband, Zane, a football coach at John H. Guyer High School, make their home in Denton with their daughter, Madison, and son, Paxton. Contact info: [email protected]