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UNC Tabs Princeton’s Courtney Banghart as Next Head Coach

By Matt Ward

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 11: Head coach Courtney Banghart of the Princeton Tigers twirls the netting she cut down after the win at The Palestra on March 11, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Princeton defeated Penn 63-34. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 11: Head coach Courtney Banghart of the Princeton Tigers twirls the netting she cut down after the win at The Palestra on March 11, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Princeton defeated Penn 63-34. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /
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Courtney Banghart to be the Tar Heels next head coach

Courtney Banghart has been named the new head coach for the University of North Carolina women’s basketball team. The school made this official on Tuesday morning, following various reports on Monday evening that Banghart was offered the position. The Daily Princetonian reports that the contract is for five years, $3.45 million.

Banghart, following an extremely successful 12-year tenure as Princeton’s head coach, will take over for Sylvia Hatchell, who was the school’s head coach for 33 years.  Hatchell resigned earlier this month following a review into allegations that she had made “racially insensitive” comments towards players, while also making them play with various degrees of injuries.

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 13: Head coach Courtney Banghart of the Princeton Tigers looks on during a women’s college basketball game against the Princeton Tigers at the Smith Center on November 13, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Colonials won 56-45. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 13: Head coach Courtney Banghart of the Princeton Tigers looks on during a women’s college basketball game against the Princeton Tigers at the Smith Center on November 13, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Colonials won 56-45. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Banghart is no stranger to success, as she recorded a 254-103 record while at the helm of the Tigers, including seven Ivy League Championships.  She was named Naismith Coach of the Year in 2015, following an undefeated regular season.  The Tigers recorded their first NCAA tournament win in school history that year, a win over Green Bay, before falling to No. 1 seed Maryland in the second round.

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Banghart was the Ivy League Coach of the Year twice, in 2015 and 2018, and led her program to the Women’s NCAA Tournament eight times, including the school’s and league’s only at-large bid in 2016.  Following a 7-23 season and a 14-14 season in her first two years at Princeton, Banghart went on to record eight seasons of 20+ wins, including a 31-win season in 2014-15.

For a while now, Banghart and her staff at Princeton, which has changed over time, have done a terrific job in recruiting.  In the Ivy League, where there are no athletic scholarships to offer, Princeton was able to repeatedly recruit talented players and stay at, or near the top of the Ivy League.  Banghart will take over a UNC program that is coming off of an 18-15 season, which ended in a first-round loss for California in the NCAA Tournament.

Banghart will leave behind a very talented roster at Princeton, including two-time Ivy Player of the Year, Bella Alarie.  Banghart’s successor should be named in the coming weeks.

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