Ball State University Athletics
Rekha Patterson Named Head WBB Coach At SEMO
April 15, 2015 | Women's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. - Rekha Patterson, the associate head coach for the Ball State women's basketball program, has been hired as the next head women's basketball coach Southeast Missouri State, the school announced Wednesday.
Patterson joined Brady Sallee's Ball State staff in 2013. It was the second stint at Ball State for Patterson, who served on the Cardinals' staff in 2006-07.
"I'm so proud of Rekha. She has worked extremely hard to put herself in a position to not only become a head coach but to be successful once she got the opportunity to call the shots," Sallee said. "Rekha has been by my side for about a third of my head coaching career, and I can't thank her enough for all she has meant to me and our Ball State women's basketball program. It is now Rekha's time to build her own program at SEMO, and I have no doubt she will do so with the same integrity and class she has become known for. My congratulations go out to Southeast Missouri State University, Redhawk fans and the Cape Girardeau community. They have hired an absolute stud.”
Patterson helped Ball State to the program's sixth Mid-American Conference West Division title in 2015 along with back-to-back postseason appearances in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
In her first season, Patterson assisted in the Cardinals' thrilling run to the 2014 MAC Tournament championship game. The Cardinals became postseason eligible by winning seven of their final eight games en route to advancing to the MAC Tournament championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2009. In the semifinals, Ball State scored a thrilling 73-55 win over 25th-ranked Bowling Green.
Before coming to Ball State, Patterson spent two season as the associate coach/recruiting coordinator at Baylor, helping the Bears to a 74-2 record. In 2012, Baylor became the first team ever to win 40 games, posting an unbeaten mark on the way to a national championship. Patterson served as Baylor's coordinator of basketball operations for three seasons before being promoted. In her five years at Baylor, she was part of seven Big 12 regular season or tournament titles.
Prior to Baylor, Patterson coached at Creighton (2007-08), Ball State (2006-07) and Eastern Illinois (2004-06), where she was the post coach under Sallee. At Eastern Illinois, she helped current Ball State assistant coach Rachel Galligan to Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year accolades.
During Patterson's career, she has reached postseason play in 11 of 13 years, including two Final Fours and four Sweet 16's. She has coached two National Freshmen of the Year, one two-time National Player of the Year (Brittney Griner), four college All-Americans and numerous all-conference performers. Nine of her former players have or still are playing professionally. She has also played an instrumental role in signing eight high school All-Americans.
Patterson got her start as a graduate assistant at Baylor from 2002-04. Before that, she spent one year in the NCAA office as an Education Services intern.
A native of Red Springs, N.C., Patterson was a four-year letterwinner and a two-time captain in women's basketball at North Carolina A&T, where she earned a bachelor's degree in public relations in 2001. Patterson earned her master's degree in education with a sports management emphasis from Baylor in 2004.
