Rutgers announced the program has hired former LSU assistant coach Gary Redus II, who had previously worked under Kim Mulkey since the 2022-23 season, as the team's new head coach on Monday. This will mark the first time Redus will have worked as a head coach in Division I basketball.
The relationship between Rutgers, LSU, and Redus is a layered one. Rutgers president William F. Tate I was president of LSU from 2021 to 2025, and Rutgers athletic director Keli Zinn was the deputy athletic director at LSU from 2022 until July 2025. The dynamic allowed Tate and Zinn to observe Redus' skills as an assistant coach, which may have informed the decision Rutgers made.
Redus' time at LSU has included some major highs. He was part of the team that recruited several All-Americans and that won the national championship in 2023. His previous work experience includes stints at SMU, Vanderbilt and Division II Delta State.
This history bodes well for the future of Rutgers' program. The team ended the regular season with a 1-17 record and was at the very bottom of the Big 10 conference, so things can truly only get better for the team. Redus has observed LSU head coach Kim Mulkey for years, and undoubtedly has learned plenty that will help as he guides his new team toward an improved record.
Rutgers also considered others for the head coach position
Redus wasn't the only candidate the school had in mind, per USA Today — Rhode Island head coach Tammi Reiss, who also previously worked as an assistant coach at Syracuse, was also on the docket.
Per the outlet, the biggest roadblock to Reiss' hiring was the $600,000 buyout Rutgers would have been obligated to pay Rhode Island if the school had brought her on as head coach. Redus, on the other hand, did not have a buyout to be concerned about.
The program also reportedly called Carly Thibault-DuDonis, who currently coaches at Fairfield. She's had a massively successful tenure at the school, and has brought Fairfield to back-to-back NCAA tournaments.
Rutgers may have had a disappointing 2025-26 season, but the program isn't far from a winning histroy. The team's former coach, Vivian Stringer, retired in 2022, and her time at the school included two Final Fours and four conference championships. The team also made 17 apperances in the NCAA Tournament and won the WNIT championship in 2014.