ORLANDO – Rekha Patterson, former head coach at Southeast Missouri (SEMO), has been named assistant coach for UCF women’s basketball, head coach Sytia Messer announced Monday.
“We’re fortunate to add a talent like Coach Rekha Patterson to our women’s basketball program,” said Messer. “Coach Patterson’s résumé speaks for itself. She’s been a successful head coach in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) as well as previous Big 12 experience. Coach Patterson has a good basketball mind which makes her a proven recruiter and has good relationships with players and coaches. We are excited to welcome her to the UCF family.”
Patterson spent the last nine years at SEMO taking her first head coaching job, where she led the Redhawks to the OVC tournament seven times and the NCAA Tournament once.
In 2019-20, she helped lead the Redhawks to a 25-7 season winning the OVC Tournament. Unfortunately, the Redhawks did not get to play in the NCAA Tournament that season due to a global COVID-19 pandemic which canceled the event. Patterson was voted the 2019-20 OVC Coach of the Year as well.
“I am ecstatic to join Coach Messer and UCF women’s basketball,” said Patterson. “I believe in her and her vision for the program. I look forward to helping the program have success in the Big 12.”
Before SEMO, Patterson was the associate head coach at Ball State from 2013-15. She also has worked on the staff at Baylor (2002-04, 2010-12), Creighton (2007-08), Ball State (2006-07) and Eastern Illinois (2004-06).
During her coaching career, Patterson has worked with teams that have won a National Championship, reached two final fours, the Sweet 16 four times and has been a part of seven Big 12 championships. She helped coach National Player of the Year (Brittney Griner), two National Freshman of the Year, four College All-Americans, an OVC Freshman of the Year and numerous all-conference performers.
A native of Red Springs, North Carolina, Patterson was a four-year letterwinner and two-time captain at North Carolina A&T, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations in 2001. She received a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in sport management from Baylor in 2004.