NORMAN – Oklahoma University has hired Jennie Baranczyk as the ninth head coach in University of Oklahoma women’s basketball history.

Baranczyk, who was head coach at Drake the last nine seasons, replaces Sherri Coale, who retired last month after 25 seasons at OU.

“This is a truly exciting day for our university and athletics department, as we welcome Jennie Baranczyk as our new head women’s basketball coach,” said OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione. “Her track record of overseeing creative and effective offenses, and producing high win totals, conference championships and postseason appearances during her time at Drake certainly appealed to our search committee as it evaluated the very competitive candidate pool.

“But her mastery of the head coaching role extends far beyond the court, and it’s clear that her personal and professional values align with ours.”

Baranczyk comes to OU with a 192-96 (.667) record at Drake and leading the Bulldogs to six consecutive 20-win seasons (2014-15 through 2019-20) and to three NCAA tournament berths (2017-19).

A two-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Baranczyk’s .667 winning percentage ranks fifth in the league’s history.

Known for fostering high-powered offenses, Baranczyk is coming off a 2020-21 season that saw Drake lead the nation’s 336 teams in assists per game (20.4) and rank sixth in the country in field goal percentage (48.1%), 22nd in scoring offense (76.4 ppg) and 24th in 3-point field goal percentage (36.4%).

The Bulldogs finished 18-12 overall and in second place in league play with a 13-5 record.

Baranczyk’s teams have dominated the Missouri Valley over the last seven seasons. During that span, Drake went 109-17 (.865) in regular season league play – good for the 10th-best conference winning percentage nationally – and finished no worse than second in the league standings each year. Its lowest MVC winning percentage during the stretch was .722 this past season.

Also over the past seven years, Drake ranked second nationally in effective field goal percentage (.540) and 2-point field goal percentage (.549), third in assists per game (20.6) and sixth in scoring offense (80.1 ppg) and field goal percentage (.474).

Drake  is the only program in the country that has ranked in the top three nationally in assists per game in each of the last five seasons (averaged a nation-leading 21.5 per game during the stretch).

Baranczyk won back-to-back MVC Coach of the Year awards after her team’s historic 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, leading the Bulldogs to an 18-0 regular season conference record both years and winning both MVC Tournaments. And after the 2018-19 squad posted a 17-1 league record, the Bulldogs had amassed a near-perfect three-year MVC mark of 53-1 (.981).

Between her Big 12 stints, Baranczyk served as an assistant coach at Marquette from 2006-10, helping the Golden Eagles to an 81-53 record and four postseason appearances. The 2007-08 squad won the WNIT title.

Formerly Jennie Lillis, Baranczyk spent her collegiate career at the University of Iowa (2000-04) and is regarded as one of the best all-around players in Hawkeye women’s basketball history.

Baranczyk was a three-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, earning first-team honors as a junior (2003) and second-team recognition as a sophomore (2002) and senior (2004).

The Urbandale, Iowa, product led the Hawkeyes to four postseason appearances, including three NCAA tournament berths, as well as the 2001 Big Ten Tournament title. Baranczyk graduated as the only player in Iowa history ranked in the top 10 of five major statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.  Additionally, she was one of only two Hawkeyes to score more than 1,700 points and grab 800 rebounds in their career.

Baranczyk, who obtained a master’s degree in counseling and student development from Kansas State in 2006, is married.

She and her husband, Scott, have a son, Eli, and two daughters, Jordi and Hope.