Illinois State women's basketball coach Kristen Gillespie has signed a one-year contract extension that keeps her under contract through the 2028-29 season.
Gillespie has led the Redbirds to four consecutive postseason appearances, including the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship.
“I absolutely love being a Redbird and being ingrained in the Blo-No community,” Gillespie said in a statement. “I look forward to adding more championships to the rich tradition that Jill Hutchison started 50 years ago.”
Gillespie has guided ISU to a 132-82 record in seven seasons at ISU. The team's 64.8% winning percentage since 2020-21 is the best record among Division I women’s basketball programs in Illinois.
"Our women’s basketball program has been one of the most consistently successful in our department for the past several seasons, and much of that is due to the leadership and guidance Kristen provides,” said ISU interim Athletics Director Jeri Beggs.
The Redbirds’ 22-12 mark last season marked the programs first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since 2011.
