Southern Miss women’s basketball head coach Joye Lee-McNelis announced on February 20 that she will retire at the end of the 2024-25 season, concluding a 34-year career as a Division I head coach.
McNelis, 62, has led the Southern Miss Lady Eagles for the past 21 seasons. She previously coached at Memphis from 1991 to 2004. A 1997 inductee into the Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame and the 2024 recipient of the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award, McNelis is widely regarded as a key figure in women’s basketball.
“After more than 40 years in coaching, including the last 21 years at my beloved alma mater, it is time for me to step into the next chapter of my life. Coaching at Southern Miss has been more than just a profession—it has been a dream realized,” McNelis said. “From the time I was a young girl, basketball has shaped my life in immeasurable ways, and having the opportunity to lead this program has been one of my greatest honors.”
McNelis first joined Southern Miss as a freshman player 45 years ago, becoming a standout for the Lady Eagles under head coach Kay James. She later returned to Southern Miss as an assistant coach in 1986 before embarking on a 13-year head coaching career at Memphis, where she accumulated 229 wins and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 2004, McNelis returned to Hattiesburg to lead the Southern Miss women’s basketball program. She revitalized the Lady Eagles, achieving notable success, including a record-setting 27-7 season in 2013-14, which earned her Conference USA Coach of the Year honors.
“I want to thank Joye and her family for their dedication to Southern Miss and to Lady Eagle basketball over the past 21 years,” said USM Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain. “Coach McNelis has had a significant impact as a leader in our university community and throughout college basketball.”
Over her career, McNelis has made 14 postseason appearances, coached 45 all-conference players, and achieved more than 550 wins. She will be honored at Reed Green Coliseum on Friday at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Troy. A national search for her successor is set to begin immediately.
“I am forever grateful to The University of Southern Mississippi's administration, the athletic department, my coaching staff and all those who have supported me and this program over the years,” McNelis said. “To my players – both past and present – you have given me some of the most rewarding moments of my career, and I will always cherish the memories we have made together.”