Pingeton spent 15 years with the program, leading the Tigers to 250 wins in her career
Missouri women’s basketball head coach Robin Pingeton’s parking spot outside of Mizzou Arena sits empty after the Tigers’ 100-59 loss to Vanderbilt on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Coach Pingeton announced on Feb. 26 that she would be leaving the program after a 15-year stint as head coach. (Knox Mynatt/The Maneater)
On Feb. 26, Missouri women’s basketball head coach Robin Pingeton announced that she would part ways with the team following the conclusion of the 2025 season.
“After a lot of reflection, I have decided it’s time for a new voice to lead Mizzou women’s basketball,” Pingeton said.
Her Tigers are currently tied for last in the SEC with a 3-12 conference record. Should the Tigers keep this pace up, it would mean back-to-back finishes near the bottom of the conference standings, due to a 2-14 finish in 2024. The program’s struggles have been at the forefront of its identity in recent years. It is unknown if this contributed to the change in leadership.
Pingeton spent 15 seasons with the Tigers, and currently owns a record of 250-217 overall and 94-147 in conference play. Her 250 wins and winning percentage of .536 rank her second all-time in each category on the program’s leaderboard.
Along with a plethora of regular season wins, Pingeton brought postseason success to Missouri for the first time since the 2005-06 season. The Tigers made it to the NCAA Tournament for four consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2019, earning the fifth seed in 2018, the highest in program history. Pingeton’s Tigers picked up wins in both the 2016 and 2017 tournaments, the first time any Missouri team has done so in back-to-back seasons.
Missouri women’s basketball head coach Robin Pingeton sits as reporters ask her questions after the Tigers’ loss to Vanderbilt on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at Mizzou Arena, in Columbia, Mo. “No doubt, it’s time to pass the torch and empower a new women’s basketball coach for you guys, for these guys,” Coach Pingeton said to the crowd following the game. (Knox Mynatt/The Maneater)
It was during this four-year run that Pingeton received the most recognition for her work. In the 2017 season, she was named the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year. Success continued the following year when she was a finalist for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s National Coach of the Year award.
Pingeton also brought out the best in her players throughout her Missouri tenure. Missouri alumni Sophie Cunningham reached 2,187 points under Pingeton, cementing her as the program’s all-time leading scorer. Following her Missouri career, Cunningham was selected 13th overall in the 2019 WNBA draft. Pingeton also coached two other future WNBA selections, as Christine Flores was taken in 2012, followed by Bri Kulas in 2014.
While the last few seasons haven’t seen the same success, Pingeton will be remembered fondly.
“Robin Pingeton has poured her heart into Mizzou Women’s Basketball for the past 15 years,” Missouri Director of Athletics Laird Veatch said. “We are tremendously grateful for her leadership, character and dedication to our student-athletes.”
While Pingeton will be stepping away at the season’s conclusion, the Tigers still have a season to finish. They’ll travel to Greenville, South Carolina for the SEC Championships, which begin on March 5.
Edited by Colin Simmons l csimmons@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Natalie Kientzy and Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com