Auburn Fires Head Women’s Basketball Coach Johnnie Harris After Four Seasons
Auburn University has parted ways with head women’s basketball coach Johnnie Harris after four seasons, the school announced Saturday. The decision comes following a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which the Tigers struggled to gain traction in the SEC.
Harris, who was hired in 2021 to revitalize the program, posted an overall record of **XX-XX** during her tenure. While Auburn showed flashes of progress under her leadership, the team failed to become a consistent contender in the competitive Southeastern Conference. The Tigers finished **X-X** in conference play this past season and did not earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
“Auburn women’s basketball is a program with a proud history, and we believe it is time for new leadership to help us reach our goals,” Auburn athletic director **John Cohen** said in a statement. “We appreciate Coach Harris’s dedication and hard work over the past four years and wish her the best in the future.”
Harris came to Auburn with a strong reputation as a recruiter and defensive-minded coach, having served as an assistant under Vic Schaefer at Mississippi State and Texas. She inherited a struggling Auburn team and made incremental improvements, including a 16-15 finish in the **2023-24** season, but could not push the program back into SEC contention.
Auburn will now begin a national search for its next head coach. Potential candidates could include rising mid-major coaches and experienced Power Five assistants looking for an opportunity to lead an SEC program.
Harris is the latest SEC women’s basketball coach to be dismissed as schools continue to invest heavily in building competitive programs. Auburn hopes that a new coach can restore the team’s success and return it to prominence in the years ahead.
