Candi Whitaker Returns to Kansas City to Lead Women’s Basketball Program
3/11/2026 10:45:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Whitaker has 18 years of head coaching experience, including a 2006-12 stop in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Mar. 11, 2026) – Kansas City Women's Basketball welcomes back Candi Whitaker to return as the program's next head coach heading into the 2026-27 season, Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Dr. Brandon Martin announced Wednesday morning. The 18-year head coaching veteran returns to familiar territory as Whitaker took the reins of the Roos back in 2006 and led Kansas City for six seasons as the seventh head coach in program history. Whitaker will now become the Roos' 11th head coach since joining Division I in 1987-88.
"We are delighted to welcome Coach Whitaker back to Kansas City," Dr. Martin said. "She has a proven body of work as a program builder, elite recruiter, and positive role model for student-athletes. Coach Whitaker is familiar with the landscape here in Kansas City and will undoubtedly have a strong presence in the campus and local community. I look forward to partnering with her in building a championship-level program that our fan base will appreciate and support."
Whitaker made her mark on Kansas City in her first run with the Roos, becoming one of two head coaches in program history to lead the team to two 11-plus win seasons in conference play during her tenure. Whitaker also tallied 77 wins in her first six seasons with the Roos, the third most for a head coach in school history at the Division I level.
"It is a tremendous honor to once again have the opportunity to take over the program here at Kansas City. This place means so much to me. It's where I got my first head coaching job at twenty-six and where Matt and I started our family," Whitaker said. "In many ways, it shaped me for all that would lie ahead on my coaching journey. I could not be more excited to be back and to get to work to elevate this program once again."
Coaching Rundown
Whitaker first came to Kansas City in 2004, serving as an assistant coach under Bo Overton, a position she stayed in until her promotion to head coach in the middle of the 2006-07 season.
In her third full season at the helm, Whitaker guided the Roos to a 12-6 record in conference play, the most wins in a single season at the time and still tied for the second most in program history. The historic season culminated in Kansas City's first NCAA postseason berth as the Roos earned a spot in the Women's Basketball Invitational.
The 2011-12 season was a special one as Whitaker led the Roos to a 22-12 overall record, 11-7 in conference play. At the time, it was KC's second-ever 20-plus win campaign and the school's first since 1991-92. After going 11-7 in Summit League play, the Roos entered the 2012 Summit League Championship as the three-seed.
Kansas City took down sixth-seeded Oakland and seventh-seeded Western Illinois en route to their second-ever trip to a conference title game, where the Roos took top-seeded South Dakota State to overtime. Whitaker once again led the Roos to the postseason stage, earning a spot in the Women's National Invitational Tournament.
"I'm incredibly excited to welcome Coach Whitaker and her family back home to Kansas City," said Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC. "It's been a joy to follow her career as she's led teams on multiple levels to winning records. I know her enthusiasm for women's basketball and for Kansas City will be another defining factor for Kansas City Athletics."
KC's postseason berths in 2010 and 2012 remain historic for the program as Whitaker is one of just two coaches in school history to carry the Roos to multiple postseason appearances past a conference tournament in KC's 39-year history at the Division I level. As a whole, Whitaker has led a team to the postseason seven times, four of which came as a head coach. She is no stranger to the Big Dance, having led or been on the staff of five NCAA Tournament teams, three of which came at the Division I level as an assistant coach in 2003, 2004 and 2013.
In her first stint with the Roos, Coach Whitaker recruited, coached and developed four of Kansas City's 1,000 point scorers including the program's all-time leading scorer Chazny Morris, who totaled 1,806 points in 118 career games from 2006-10. Coach Whitaker also recruited and mentored Elise O'Connor (2010-14), Kim Nezianya (2009-14) and Dayon Hall-Jones (2009-2012) with the group holding a combined seven all-conference selections. Nezianya also holds Roos' all-time records in career games played at 129 and career rebounds, hauling in 952 boards.
Whitaker was most recently the head coach at North Alabama, where she spent the last two seasons. In this past season, Whitaker led the Lions to a 17-14 overall record and went 11-7 in ASUN play, the program's best finish since 2019-20. Following the 2025-26 campaign, Whitaker has amassed a career coaching record of 261-253, just recently completing her 18th season as a head coach.
Whitaker knows what it takes to win in this region, spending 11 seasons as a head coach in the state of Missouri. In 2019, Whitaker took to the Division II level, anchoring Missouri Western State to four 20-plus win seasons, building up a .680 winning percentage across her five years in St. Joseph. Whitaker led the Griffons to the Elite Eight in 2022, pulling off three straight victories over higher-seeded opponents to pull MWSU to their best postseason finish since 1995.
Whitaker later steered the Griffons to the MIAA Regular Season title in 2023-24 and took home the MIAA Coach of the Year award following a 25-6 record that year and a second trip to the NCAA DII Tournament in three seasons. Whitaker went 100-47 overall and 70-37 in conference play through five tremendously successful years at Missouri Western State.
A native of Canyon, Texas, Whitaker took control of her alma mater Texas Tech prior to the start of the 2013-14 season. Whitaker helped guide the Red Raiders to a pair of quarterfinal appearances in 2016 and 2017. In the latter season, Texas Tech earned their first-ranked win in over four seasons as the Red Raiders beat No. 18 West Virginia 76-66. Whitaker coached 11 Academic All-Big 12 players in her five seasons in Lubbock, Texas.
Following her first stint with the Roos, Whitaker departed for Oklahoma State, where she became the associate head coach for the following 2012-13 season. Whitaker was a part of a staff that guided the Cowgirls to a 22-11 record and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For Whitaker, it was the third time in her career that she's been a part of an NCAA Tournament team as an assistant coach. The first two came from her three-year assistant coaching tenure at Valparaiso in 2002-04.
"We are delighted to welcome Coach Whitaker back to Kansas City," Dr. Martin said. "She has a proven body of work as a program builder, elite recruiter, and positive role model for student-athletes. Coach Whitaker is familiar with the landscape here in Kansas City and will undoubtedly have a strong presence in the campus and local community. I look forward to partnering with her in building a championship-level program that our fan base will appreciate and support."
Whitaker made her mark on Kansas City in her first run with the Roos, becoming one of two head coaches in program history to lead the team to two 11-plus win seasons in conference play during her tenure. Whitaker also tallied 77 wins in her first six seasons with the Roos, the third most for a head coach in school history at the Division I level.
"It is a tremendous honor to once again have the opportunity to take over the program here at Kansas City. This place means so much to me. It's where I got my first head coaching job at twenty-six and where Matt and I started our family," Whitaker said. "In many ways, it shaped me for all that would lie ahead on my coaching journey. I could not be more excited to be back and to get to work to elevate this program once again."
Coaching Rundown
- 261 head coaching wins
- 2010 WBI qualifier at Kansas City
- 2012 WNIT qualifier at Kansas City
- Three NCAA Division I Tournament appearances as an assistant coach (2003, 2004, 2013)
- Two NCAA Division II Tournament qualifications (2022, 2024)
- 2022 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance
- 2024 MIAA Regular Season Championship
- 2024 MIAA Coach of the Year
Whitaker first came to Kansas City in 2004, serving as an assistant coach under Bo Overton, a position she stayed in until her promotion to head coach in the middle of the 2006-07 season.
In her third full season at the helm, Whitaker guided the Roos to a 12-6 record in conference play, the most wins in a single season at the time and still tied for the second most in program history. The historic season culminated in Kansas City's first NCAA postseason berth as the Roos earned a spot in the Women's Basketball Invitational.
The 2011-12 season was a special one as Whitaker led the Roos to a 22-12 overall record, 11-7 in conference play. At the time, it was KC's second-ever 20-plus win campaign and the school's first since 1991-92. After going 11-7 in Summit League play, the Roos entered the 2012 Summit League Championship as the three-seed.
Kansas City took down sixth-seeded Oakland and seventh-seeded Western Illinois en route to their second-ever trip to a conference title game, where the Roos took top-seeded South Dakota State to overtime. Whitaker once again led the Roos to the postseason stage, earning a spot in the Women's National Invitational Tournament.
"I'm incredibly excited to welcome Coach Whitaker and her family back home to Kansas City," said Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC. "It's been a joy to follow her career as she's led teams on multiple levels to winning records. I know her enthusiasm for women's basketball and for Kansas City will be another defining factor for Kansas City Athletics."
KC's postseason berths in 2010 and 2012 remain historic for the program as Whitaker is one of just two coaches in school history to carry the Roos to multiple postseason appearances past a conference tournament in KC's 39-year history at the Division I level. As a whole, Whitaker has led a team to the postseason seven times, four of which came as a head coach. She is no stranger to the Big Dance, having led or been on the staff of five NCAA Tournament teams, three of which came at the Division I level as an assistant coach in 2003, 2004 and 2013.
In her first stint with the Roos, Coach Whitaker recruited, coached and developed four of Kansas City's 1,000 point scorers including the program's all-time leading scorer Chazny Morris, who totaled 1,806 points in 118 career games from 2006-10. Coach Whitaker also recruited and mentored Elise O'Connor (2010-14), Kim Nezianya (2009-14) and Dayon Hall-Jones (2009-2012) with the group holding a combined seven all-conference selections. Nezianya also holds Roos' all-time records in career games played at 129 and career rebounds, hauling in 952 boards.
Whitaker was most recently the head coach at North Alabama, where she spent the last two seasons. In this past season, Whitaker led the Lions to a 17-14 overall record and went 11-7 in ASUN play, the program's best finish since 2019-20. Following the 2025-26 campaign, Whitaker has amassed a career coaching record of 261-253, just recently completing her 18th season as a head coach.
Whitaker knows what it takes to win in this region, spending 11 seasons as a head coach in the state of Missouri. In 2019, Whitaker took to the Division II level, anchoring Missouri Western State to four 20-plus win seasons, building up a .680 winning percentage across her five years in St. Joseph. Whitaker led the Griffons to the Elite Eight in 2022, pulling off three straight victories over higher-seeded opponents to pull MWSU to their best postseason finish since 1995.
Whitaker later steered the Griffons to the MIAA Regular Season title in 2023-24 and took home the MIAA Coach of the Year award following a 25-6 record that year and a second trip to the NCAA DII Tournament in three seasons. Whitaker went 100-47 overall and 70-37 in conference play through five tremendously successful years at Missouri Western State.
A native of Canyon, Texas, Whitaker took control of her alma mater Texas Tech prior to the start of the 2013-14 season. Whitaker helped guide the Red Raiders to a pair of quarterfinal appearances in 2016 and 2017. In the latter season, Texas Tech earned their first-ranked win in over four seasons as the Red Raiders beat No. 18 West Virginia 76-66. Whitaker coached 11 Academic All-Big 12 players in her five seasons in Lubbock, Texas.
Following her first stint with the Roos, Whitaker departed for Oklahoma State, where she became the associate head coach for the following 2012-13 season. Whitaker was a part of a staff that guided the Cowgirls to a 22-11 record and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For Whitaker, it was the third time in her career that she's been a part of an NCAA Tournament team as an assistant coach. The first two came from her three-year assistant coaching tenure at Valparaiso in 2002-04.
Head Coach Mark Turgeon Full Introductory Press Conference
Monday, March 09
Women's Basketball Highlights vs. #2 South Dakota State
Thursday, March 05
Women's Basketball Highlights at St. Thomas
Wednesday, February 25
Women's Basketball Highlights vs. Oral Roberts
Saturday, February 21