Division 1
Mike Neighbors out as Razorback women’s coach
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas head women’s basketball coach Mike Neighbors has stepped down from his role with the Razorbacks. Neighbors resigned from his position on Tuesday after recently completing his eighth season as the head coach of the Razorbacks and his 12th season overall as a Division I head coach.
Neighbors was hired as the Arkansas head women’s basketball coach prior to the 2017-18 season. The Greenwood, Arkansas native compiled a record of 148-114 at Arkansas, leading the Razorbacks to six winning seasons and positioning the Hogs for six postseason appearances.
“As I shared in my introductory press conference on April 4, 2017, the opportunity to coach the Hogs fulfilled a lifelong dream,” Neighbors said. “I also acknowledged that there would be a time when that dream would end, and until then, I pledged to do my best to make my family, my team and my home state of Arkansas proud. One day would have been an honor! Yet, I’ve had the privilege of leading our program for 2,898 days.
“I am appreciative of all the administrators, staff, student-athletes, managers, practice players, spirit squad members, the Hog Wild band, table crew, ushers, UAPD, facility staff, radio and TV talent, boosters and fans, for the support and commitment to Arkansas women’s basketball over the last eight seasons. We leave with our heads high and enough memories to last a lifetime.”
Combined with his four years as the head coach at the University of Washington, Neighbors has a career 246-155 record as a head coach at the Division I level.
“I am deeply appreciative of Coach Neighbors and his contributions to the University of Arkansas and our program during the past eight seasons,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “There is no questioning his love and passion for this university and this state. After a successful run at the University of Washington, he returned to his home state to take on the challenge of competing in the nation’s most challenging conference. During his tenure, we enjoyed numerous memorable wins and watched some of the best players in the history of our program.
“I want to thank Coach Neighbors for his commitment and dedication to the Razorback program. I wish Mike, Jayci and their family the very best.”
Neighbors led the Razorbacks to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the WNIT during his tenure. The Hogs’ back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 2021 and 2022 were the first consecutive trips to the Big Dance for the women’s program since 2002 and 2003. He quickly turned around the program winning 22 games in his second season on the Arkansas bench and followed up with a 24-8 campaign in 2019-20 that would have resulted in the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2015 if the tournament would not have been canceled due to the pandemic. Neighbors’ Hogs again reached 24 wins in 2022-23 with a deep run in the WNIT, reaching the Great 8.
Along with team success, Neighbors and his staff developed the two greatest scorers in program history. This past season Izzy Higginbottom became the school’s all-time leading scorer for a single season with 790 points, surpassing another Neighbors protégé in Chelsea Dungee, who set the record with 759 points in 2019. Higginbottom added her name to the top of several records in her lone season on The Hill, setting the top mark for scoring average (24.4 ppg), free throws made (242) and field goal attempts (578) while finishing second in free throw attempts (267), free throw percentage (90.6%) and field goals made (251).
The Neighbors era also produced two of the program’s eight WNBA Draft picks in history and did it in the same draft when Dungee was selected fifth overall by Dallas and Destiny Slocum was picked 14th overall by Las Vegas.
Yurachek announced that a national search for the next head women’s basketball coach will begin immediately.
NORMAN – Oklahoma Sooners head football coach Brent Venables has been named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, recognizing him among the nation’s top coaches heading into the upcoming season.
The Dodd Trophy, presented by PNC Bank, honors the head coach of a team that achieves success on the field, in the classroom, and within the community. Venables is one of 25 coaches nationally named to the preseason list.
Venables, who enters his fourth season leading the Sooners, guided Oklahoma through its final years in the Big 12 and into its inaugural season in the SEC. Under his leadership, the program has continued to recruit at an elite level while emphasizing academic performance and community involvement.
The annual award, named after legendary Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd, evaluates coaches based on their program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), with Oklahoma posting a strong score of 993 for the 2023-24 academic year.
Venables is joined on this year’s watch list by notable coaches including Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian.
The winner of the Dodd Trophy will be announced at the end of the 2025 season.
NORMAN – University of Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione is set to announce his retirement on Tuesday, according to widespread media reports.
Castiglione has served as the University of Oklahoma’s athletic director since 1998, overseeing one of the most successful eras in the school’s athletic history.
During his tenure, Oklahoma’s athletic programs have flourished on the national stage. Castiglione hired football coach Bob Stoops in 1999, a move that revitalized the Sooners program and led to the 2000 national championship. Under his leadership, OU football has continued to rank among the nation’s elite, with multiple Big 12 titles and College Football Playoff appearances.
Castiglione has also been instrumental in elevating other sports. The university’s softball team has become a dominant force, winning several national championships under coach Patty Gasso. OU’s gymnastics programs have likewise secured multiple national titles during his administration.
In addition to competitive success, Castiglione prioritized academic achievement, facility improvements, and financial stability within the department. Major projects under his leadership include renovations to Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, construction of new training and academic facilities, and the expansion of softball and baseball stadiums.
Known for his steady leadership and vision, Castiglione guided Oklahoma through its upcoming transition from the Big 12 Conference to the Southeastern Conference, positioning the university for continued national relevance in the changing landscape of college athletics.
Prior to joining Oklahoma, Castiglione served as athletic director at the University of Missouri from 1994 to 1998. He is widely respected among his peers and has received numerous national honors, including being named Athletic Director of the Year by Sports Business Journal and induction into multiple halls of fame.
TULSA – Cophie Anderson has been named the 12th head coach of the Oral Roberts University women’s basketball program, Athletic Director Tim Johnson announced Monday.
Anderson, who served as ORU’s associate head coach for three seasons, helped guide the Golden Eagles to back-to-back 20-win seasons and postseason appearances in the WNIT and WBIT. The team finished 24-9 in 2024-25, marking the program’s first consecutive 20-win seasons since 2010-12.
ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson praised Anderson’s leadership, highlighting her faith and commitment to student-athletes. Johnson echoed those sentiments, calling Anderson a vital part of the program’s recent success and expressing excitement for the future under her leadership.
During her tenure as associate head coach, Anderson played a key role in ORU’s offensive success, helping the Golden Eagles rank in the top 20 nationally in scoring for three straight seasons, including top-10 finishes in 2023-24 and 2024-25. She was instrumental in recruiting and developing players, with five Golden Eagles earning Summit League postseason honors in 2023-24, including Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
Anderson previously coached at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where she helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to seven NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, four Great American Conference Tournament Championships, and a national runner-up finish in 2019. Under her guidance, SWOSU ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense in seven of nine seasons, averaging over 80 points per game five times.
As a player, Anderson competed at Fresno State from 2001-05, earning three Western Athletic Conference All-Academic selections. She graduated with a degree in Kinesiology.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Anderson is married to Wayne Anderson, and they have three children.
ORU will introduce Anderson at a press conference Tuesday, April 1, at 3:30 p.m. inside the Mabee Center.
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