Auburn University has announced the termination of women’s basketball head coach Johnnie Harris after four seasons at the helm. The decision came on March 6, 2025, following the Tigers’ 60-50 loss to Florida in the first round of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament, which concluded a 12-18 season, including a 3-13 record in SEC play.
Harris amassed an overall record of 58-63 during her tenure at Auburn. The 2023-24 season marked a significant achievement, as the team secured its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019, finishing with a 20-12 record and an 8-8 mark in SEC competition. However, the program experienced a downturn in the subsequent season, culminating in the recent early exit from the SEC Tournament and a seven-game losing streak to close the season.
Athletic Director John Cohen expressed his respect for Harris in a statement: “I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Johnnie. Having worked with her for more than a decade at two institutions, I know Johnnie is an exceptional person with a great basketball mind. I thank Johnnie for the way she represented Auburn and for her contributions to our women’s basketball program. While these decisions are never easy, the program must move in a new direction.”
Before joining Auburn, Harris served as associate head coach under Vic Schaefer at Mississippi State from 2012 to 2020 and followed Schaefer to Texas for the 2020-21 season. Her coaching career also includes assistant roles at Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Arkansas-Little Rock.
Auburn has initiated a national search for Harris’s successor, aiming to revitalize the women’s basketball program and build upon past succ
esses.
