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Cincinnati to hire Michelle Clark-Heard as head coach

By Blake DuDonis

KNOXVILLE, TN - MARCH 16: Western Kentucky Lady Toppers head coach Michelle Clark-Heard coaching during a game between the Oregon State Beavers and Western Kentucky Lady Toppers on March 16, 2018, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - MARCH 16: Western Kentucky Lady Toppers head coach Michelle Clark-Heard coaching during a game between the Oregon State Beavers and Western Kentucky Lady Toppers on March 16, 2018, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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According to multiple sources, Cincinnati is set to hire current Western Kentucky head coach Michelle Clark-Heard to the same position. Clark-Heard recently finished her sixth season at Western Kentucky, her alma mater, and has posted a 154-47 record over her time at the helm of the Hilltoppers. Her team went to the NCAA tournament four times over her six seasons.

Clark-Heard came to Western Kentucky after a five season stop at Louisville as an assistant. Prior to that, she was the head coach at Kentucky State, an assistant at Cincinnati and an assistant at Nebraska. The highlight of her time at Cincinnati was helping the team to 23-8 record in 2002-03, the last time that the Bearcats have won more than 20 games.

In addition to her college experience, Clark-Heard was named an assistant coach for the 2015 U.S. Pan American Women’s Basketball team, helping the team earn a silver medal.

The 49-year-old Clark-Heard will take over a Cincinnati team that went 19-13 (10-6) last season, the best record for the program since that 2002-03 season that she was an assistant for.

Cincinnati fired former head coach Jamelle Elliot after she went 113-162 (46-104) over nine seasons in charge. The firing led to a lot of criticism, most notably from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma.

Prior to Elliot taking over Cincinnati, she was an assistant under Geno for 11 seasons and played for the Huskies from 1993-1996.

Elliot and the team were forced to play in a local high school for all home games last season as their home arena was under renovation.

Western Kentucky have named Greg Collins as it’s new head coach. Collins has served as an assistant at Western Kentucky under Clark-Heard for the past six seasons.

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