Alex Simmons Out at Memphis After Three Seasons

Memphis, Tenn. — The University of Memphis has terminated women’s basketball head coach Alex Simmons, athletic director Ed Scott announced Monday, ending a three-year tenure that never gained traction in the American Athletic Conference.

The Tigers closed the 2023-24 campaign with a 4-14 league record and failed to qualify for the AAC tournament, finishing Simmons’ overall Memphis ledger at 30-61. The decision comes one week after junior forward Paris Gaines was arrested on three felony counts of aggravated assault, an incident that clouded the program’s final weeks.

“Following a comprehensive evaluation of our women’s basketball program, we believe this is the right time for a leadership change,” Scott said in a release. “We remain committed to building a program that competes at the highest level of our conference and reflects the pride and passion of the University of Memphis community.”

Shalon Pillow, a former Florida A&M head coach who was named Memphis’ chief-of-staff last June, will guide the program during the national search.

Simmons, 39, arrived in 2021 after guiding Gardner-Webb to its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. She replaced Katrina Merriweather, who left after a 22-11 season to return to her alma mater, Cincinnati. Instead of sustaining that momentum, Simmons’ teams never finished above .500 and posted a 13-35 AAC mark.

A Lady Vol reserve on Tennessee’s 2007 and 2008 national-title squads, Simmons previously served as an assistant at Ole Miss, Middle Tennessee and Kansas. After Saturday’s regular-season-ending win over Wichita State, she spoke of her affinity for Memphis in the third person: “Memphis is a place that not many people wanted to come to, but Alex Simmons did. Memphis is not a place that many people want to stay, but Alex Simmons does.”

The university’s next hire will inherit a program with limited historical success: no NCAA appearances since 1998 and no Sweet 16 berth since 1982. Candidates are expected to question resource allocation, as Memphis has directed the bulk of recent facility upgrades and NIL spending toward football and men’s basketball.

Among the names circulating in early searches are former Baylor All-American and current MTSU assistant Davis, Tennessee assistant Lazo, and Tennessee Tech head coach Rosamond, though Scott has not publicly confirmed any interviews.