Who is Jennie Baranczyk? OU women’s head basketball coach leading team into Sweet 16

Jennie Baranczyk has been the head coach of Oklahoma’s women’s basketball program since April 2021 and is finishing up her fourth season by leading the team into a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Baranczyk is the ninth head coach named for the Sooners and took over when Sherri Coale retired.

Record-Breaking Success in Norman

Baranczyk guided Oklahoma to unprecedented success in her first three seasons. With a 74-26 record, she boasts the best three-year start in program history. Her tenure includes three consecutive seasons with 23 or more wins and two Big 12 regular-season titles.

In 2024, Baranczyk was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year after leading the Sooners to a 15-3 league record and an outright conference title — the program’s first since 2009. OU earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round for the third consecutive year.

In 2025, she led the Sooners to earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they beat Florida Gulf Coast University and Iowa in the first and second rounds.

Jennie Baranczyk, Sooners excited for at least one more game together: 'I’m just excited that this team gets to keep playing'

Dominance at Drake Before Oklahoma

Before arriving at Oklahoma, Baranczyk led Drake University to six consecutive 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances. During her nine-year tenure, she amassed a 192-96 record and was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year.

Her teams posted an 18-0 regular-season conference record in back-to-back seasons and won both MVC Tournaments. Baranczyk’s teams amassed a 53-1 conference record over three years, earning her the 2017 ESPN Mid-Major Coach of the Year award.

Playing Career at Iowa

Baranczyk, formerly Jennie Lillis, was a standout player at the University of Iowa from 2000 to 2004. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, she led the Hawkeyes to four postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournament berths and a Big Ten Tournament title in 2001.

Baranczyk remains one of only two players in Iowa history to score over 1,700 points and grab 800 rebounds. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of Iowa in 2004. She was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor for her excellence in both academics and athletics.

Coaching Roots and Family

Baranczyk began her coaching career as an assistant at Kansas State, where the Wildcats won the WNIT. She later served as an assistant coach at Marquette and Colorado before taking over at Drake.

Baranczyk holds a master’s degree in counseling and student development from Kansas State. She and her husband, Scott, are parents of a son and two daughters.