'WE BACK PAT' FEATURE STORY

Calamity McEntire concluded her third season as associate head coach for the Fighting Illini women's basketball program in 2024-25. McEntire's hire was announced by head coach Shauna Green on April 7, 2022.

In three years with McEntire on staff, the Illinois women's basketball team has registered 63 wins, the first-ever postseason championship in program history (2024 WBIT), and three consecutive top-5 season attendances in State Farm Center. Additionally, the Illini have racked up six AP Top 25-ranked wins, secured double-digit home victories for three-straight seasons for the first time in program history, won Illinois’ first NCAA Tournament game in 25 seasons, and brought in the No. 7-ranked recruiting class by espnW coming in for the 2025-26 campaign.

In year three at Illinois, McEntire was a large part of the program’s upward trajectory with another 22-win season (22-10), a third-straight postseason appearance, and the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years. The Fighting Illini tied the program record with four wins over AP Top-25 ranked opponents. Illinois led the Big Ten in team free throw percentage (79.3%) and defensive 3-point percentage (28.1%), while Genesis Bryant (free throw percentage) and Kendall Bostic (double-doubles, minutes/game, rebounds, def. rebounds/game, rebounds/game) combined to lead the league in six individual categories.

Year two at Illinois saw the Fighting Illini make back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns as Illinois earned an at-large bid into the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (second NCAA-sponsored postseason tournament behind the NCAA Tournament). The staff led the squad to a WBIT championship with five-straight wins to close the season with a 19-15 overall record. Makira Cook was named the WBIT’s Most Outstanding Player while Kendall Bostic and Genesis Bryant joined on the All-Tournament Team.

With McEntire on staff, the Illini secured their first back-to-back .500 seasons for the first time since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns.

In 2023-24, Illinois set the program’s single-season team free throw percentage record, connecting on 434-of-546 attempts for a 79.5% rate from the line. The mark led the Big Ten and ranked sixth in the NCAA.

McEntire’s first season at Illinois saw the program reach new heights both on and off the court. The Illini finished 22-10 (11-7 B1G) and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 seasons. Illinois found itself ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2000 and would appear in four polls, ranking as high as No. 21.

With five returners from the 2021-22 Illinois squad that posted a 7-20 record, the first year Illini staff delivered the largest turnaround in program history and one of the top all-time in Big Ten history. The 15-win improvement from last season's 7-20 campaign set a new best turnaround in program history and ranks third best in Big Ten history. In league play, Illinois tallied 10 more wins than the 2021-22 mark (1-13), the best turnaround in program history, which tied for the best all-time in the Big Ten.

McEntire, who brings 21 years of Division I coaching experience, most recently served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas. At Illinois, she is in her second stint alongside Green after previously working as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on her staff for four seasons at Dayton.

During the 2021-22 season at Texas, McEntire’s impact was immediately felt as the Longhorns posted a 29-7 record and claimed the Big 12 Tournament Championship en route to an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight. UT reached as high as No. 6 in the national rankings and the program’s 29 victories marked its most in six seasons, while the team’s championship run was the first for the Longhorns since 2003.

McEntire, however, is no stranger to title runs. Her tenure at Dayton (2017-21) featured three Atlantic 10 regular-season championships (2018, 2020, 2021) and one conference tournament crown (2020). McEntire helped coach the Flyers to postseason appearances in each of her four seasons at UD, including two NCAA Tournament berths (2018 and 2020) and two WNITs (2019 and 2021).

In her role as recruiting coordinator for Dayton, McEntire was central to the staff’s efforts that resulted in the Flyers’ signing some of the top classes in program history, including the 2020 class that ranked in the top-25 nationally. Dayton’s 2018, 2019 and 2020 recruiting classes all ranked No. 1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Off the court, McEntire was selected to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) NEXT UP program in 2020, and was recognized as one of 50 Impactful DI Women's Basketball Assistants by Silver Waves Media in April 2020. McEntire was recognized on the 50 Impactful DI Women's Basketball Assistants by Silver Waves Media again following her first season at Illinois (2022-23). During her second season with the Fighting Illini, McEntire was named one of the top-20 assistant coaches by The Athletic.

Prior to her time at Dayton, McEntire spent one season at Hawai’i (2016-17) and four seasons at Arizona (2012-16) where she served as the Wildcats’ recruiting coordinator. There, she helped the Wildcats sign a top-25 class in 2014, the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history at the time. On the court, McEntire worked with UA’s guards and helped to develop Davellyn Whyte, who went on to become the No. 16 pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft.

McEntire spent four seasons at Boise State (2008-12) before moving on to Arizona. With the Broncos, she served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. McEntire has also made stops at UC Santa Barbara (2006-08) as the Director of Women's Basketball Operations and at Fresno State (2004-06) as an assistant coach.

She also gained a wealth of knowledge from legendary coach Pat Summitt while she worked as a student manager at Tennessee from 2001-03. During those seasons, Tennessee advanced to the Final Four both campaigns while compiling a 62-10 combined record. 

A native of Kiowa, Okla., McEntire played two seasons of collegiate basketball at Eastern Oklahoma State from 1999-2001. She earned her associate's degree in physical education during that time, and later earned her bachelor's degree in sport management with a minor in business from Tennessee in 2003.

Last updated June 2025.

Coaching Career