The University of Memphis announced on Thursday that it has hired Georgia Southern’s head coach, Hana Haden, to take over as the women’s basketball coach. On March 9, the athletics department announced its decision to fire Alex Simmons, and it landed on a new head coach nearly three weeks later.
Haden spent the last two seasons at Georgia Southern, but she has thrived at multiple collegiate levels. She has served as a head coach in NAIA, JUCO, D-II and D-I, and he holds a 224-91 record over 10 seasons as a head coach.
“We are thrilled to welcome Hana Haden to the Tiger Family as the 14th head coach of our women’s basketball program,” AD Ed Scott said. “Hana has demonstrated a sustained ability to win at every level and lead her teams to postseason success throughout her career.”
After going 16-18 in her first season with the Eagles, she led her team to a 23-8 record, winning the regular season conference championship, despite being picked tenth in the preseason conference poll. Haden was named the 2026 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, and her team accepted a bid to the WNIT after losing in the conference semifinals.
Before taking over at Georgia Southern, Haden spent one season at Georgia Southwestern State and was named the 2023-24 WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year after leading the Hurricanes to their first NCAA Division II Eight Eight berth.
“I am honored and grateful to be named the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Memphis,” Haden said in a statement. “This university represents a city and a state with an incredible passion for basketball, and I look forward to building a championship program that embodies the pride and toughness to reflect that passion.”
Haden will be the University’s third women’s basketball coach since the start of the 2021-22 season, and she’ll look to put together the program’s first winning season since the 2022-23 season.
The new head coach will be introduced during a press conference on Wednesday, April 1, at Elma Roane Fieldhouse.