MAC’s Briley Palmer to be next Redhawks WBB coach

Southeast Missourian

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Graphic by Southeast Missouri State athletics

Mineral Area College’s Briley Palmer has been hired to become the new head coach of the Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball team, as announced on Wednesday, May 15, by Brady Barke, SEMO vice president for intercollegiate athletics.

Palmer agreed to a five-year contract which will run through April 30, 2029. She will be the ninth head coach in program history after Rekha Patterson resigned to join Central Florida as an assistant coach.

Palmer is a native of Farmington, Missouri, and is entering her first Division I job after spending four seasons as the head coach of MAC, where she went 77-40. The Lady Cards went 25-5 last season and finished in second place in the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference. She was an assistant on the MAC staff for eight years before being named head coach.

Palmer previously played high school ball at Farmington High School, where she led the Knights to their first district championship, 24 straight wins, and a final-four appearance in the state tournament as a senior in 2007. She also played college ball at MAC and Christian Brothers University.

The Redhawks graduated seniors Chandler Davis, Julia Sion, and Michaela Mayfield. They also added transfers Rain Green from Kansas City, Jaela Johnson from Bellarmine, and Kennedy Claybrooks from Texas State. SEMO also recruited Zoe Best, who led Incarnate Word Academy to an undefeated 31-0 season and the Class 6 state championship.

Palmer will be formally introduced during a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m., at the Show Me Center on Thursday, May 16, and the public is invited to attend.

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A local juco coach is the best we can do? Does that say something about the state of SEMO basketball? I believe she knows how important basketball is to the area, but can she coach and recruit at the D-I level? Big worries here.

-- Posted by The Papa on Thu, May 16, 2024, at 7:56 AM
Juco is usually a team of waifs, who have come together nicely for Coach Palmer!

-- Posted by Outfield on Thu, May 16, 2024, at 1:03 PM
I think it is a great hire for semo! A great resume from right in our own backyard!

-- Posted by indian73 on Thu, May 16, 2024, at 1:35 PM
I think it is a great hire for semo! A great resume from right in our own backyard!

-- Posted by indian73 on Fri, May 17, 2024, at 1:32 AM
It would have been interesting in the resume to have seen how many of the "waifs" she actually coached up to play successfully at the next level. Simply, juco ain't D-I.

-- Posted by The Papa on Fri, May 17, 2024, at 9:27 AM
I think it makes sense. With how the game is now affected and driven by the transfer portal, it's more important than ever to be able to recruit from the perspective of roster turnover every two years, just like she had to do in JUCO. Sure, it's great if a high school recruit pans out, plays well, and stays around for 3-4 years, but that has become a total outlier and is now the exception. So having a successful JUCO coach's mindset and ability to be able to win with lots of constant turnover may be a better approach. She's obviously already well-connected in that arena so it's a great advantage to be able to establish relationships and a "pipeline" for players at SEMO.

-- Posted by Grussman71 on Fri, May 17, 2024, at 9:28 AM
MINERAL AREA COLLEGE

Women's Basketball Players at the Next Level

Natalia Lalic

2020 Indiana State NCAA DI

Masyn McWilliams 2020 SIU-Edwardsville NCAA DI

-- Posted by Outfield on Fri, May 17, 2024, at 11:43 AM
She’s local. Hopefully she recruits some local players.

Welcome to Cape Coach Palmer!

-- Posted by UFO on Sun, May 19, 2024, at 4:58 PM

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