The first step in the rebuilding of ULM women’s basketball has been taken. 

ULM hired Missy Bilderback as its new women’s basketball head coach on Wednesday. Bilderback is the 10th head coach in the program’s history. 

“I just really want to say thank you to everyone through this process,” Bilderback said. “It’s a great time to be a Warhawk right now.”

Bilderback comes in with a quality resume. Before coming to ULM, she spent eight seasons at Jones College in Mississippi. She averaged 25 wins a season and won six conference championships. She also took her team to seven NJCAA tournaments, with one trip to the final four. Her record through eight seasons is 198-33, and she failed to win 20 games only once, coming in her first season. 

“Missy Bilderback emerged as the top candidate for our position,” Athletic Director John Hartwell said. “We’re ecstatic about it, and we know great things are on the horizon for ULM women’s basketball.”

The women’s basketball program hasn’t had a winning year since the 2010-11 season, when it went 17-15. That was also the last time the team had a winning conference record. The program hasn’t won five or more Sun Belt games in a season since the 2015-16 year. 

“I know that there have been some challenges in the past,” Bilderback said. “I’m not scared of that, and I’m excited to get to work.” 

Despite the losing culture that has clouded the program in recent seasons, Bilderback sees the opportunity that ULM possesses. 

“We are thrilled to be joining the ULM family,” Bilderback said. “The combination of a great place to live, the tremendous people within the athletic department and the opportunity to compete in the Sun Belt Conference makes this a special place.”

Bilderback also knows how to bring talent into a program. During her time at Jones College, she coached 30 all-conference selections, 20 all-region players and 12 All-Americans. 

Before Jones College, she coached at Presbyterian Christian School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. There, she produced a 482-117 record with six Midsouth Association of Independent Schools state championships and two overall MAIS state championships in 2008 and 2014. She was named Hattiesburg American Coach of the Year five times and appeared in three MAIS All-Star games.