The Washington Huskies women's basketball coach has been floated as a potential candidate for the opening with the Crimson Tide
The Washington Huskies women's basketball team are coming off their best season in nearly a decade.
The Huskies finished the season with a 22-11 overall record and made it to the Round of 32 of the NCAA tournament, winning their first tourney game since 2017 in the process.
This March also marked the first NCAA tournament win in three berths as a head coach for Tina Langley.
Langley helped lead Washington to a second-straight trip to March Madness for the first time since the Kelsey Plum-led Huskies in 2016-17. Her success in the Pacific Northwest, plus a recent opening has led to recent speculation that she could return to take a head coaching job in her home state.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kristy Curry led the program after 13 seasons to take a job with South Florida.
Curry guided the Crimson Tide to five NCAA tournament appearances in the last six seasons.
Langley grew up just over an hour-long drive from Alabama's campus in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Langley grew up in Jasper, Ala., and spent her entire playing career in her home state from from 1991-1995 with Bevill State Community College and West Alabama.
Langley's contract buyout also goes down to $175,000 after April 1. The Crimson Tide also aren't using a search firm to find their new head coach and Langley could be among the shortlist of candidates the university is considering.
However, one of the likeliest factors for Curry leaving Alabama could prevent Langley from returning to her home state.
According to a report from Matt Stahl of AL.com, Alabama was last in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in spending for its women's basketball program.
In the modern era of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal in college sports, a lack of financial support, especially in an ultra-competitive Power Four conference like the SEC, is a hard sell for any head coach.
Langley has also rebuilt the Huskies women's basketball program into legitimate Big Ten contenders. It's also likely several key contributors, including all-conference guards Sayvia Sellers (first-team All-Big Ten) and Avery Howell (All-Big Ten honorable mention) and Big Ten All-Freshman forward Brynn McGaughy, will return to the team in 2026-27 if Langley remains as head coach.
The opportunity to return home and coach in the SEC, which boasts three of the last four national champions (aside from 2026, which is still holding its tournament), is enticing. But so is the opportunity to take another step forward with Washington.
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