Ronald Hughey - Women's Basketball Coach - University of Houston Athletics

Ronald Hughey

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
rhughey@uh.edu

Head Coach Ronald Hughey was introduced as the seventh head coach in Houston Cougar Women's Basketball history on April 22, 2014.

RONALD HUGHEY
Hometown	Columbia, S.C.
College	Limestone College `06
Family	Wife, Shae; daughters, Sanabarabara, Rhonda; son, Hunter
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Year	Team, Position
2004-07	South Carolina State, Assistant Coach
2007-08	South Carolina, Assistant Coach
2008-09	UCF, Assistant Coach
2009-10	Rutgers, Assistant Coach
2010-12	Texas, Assistant Coach
2012-14	Florida State, Assistant Coach
2014-25	University of Houston, Head Coach
NCAA POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE
Year	Experience
2007-08	WNIT Second Round
2008-09	NCAA First Round
2009-10	NCAA First Round
2010-11	NCAA First Round
2011-12	NCAA First Round
2012-13	NCAA Second Round
2013-14	NCAA Second Round
2014-15	-
2015-16	-
2016-17	-
2017-18	WNIT First Round
2018-19	WNIT First Round
2019-20	NA (COVID-19)
2020-21	WNIT First Round
2021-22	WNIT Sweet 16
2022-23	-
2023-24	-
2024-25	-

HEAD COACHING RECORD
Year	School	Record	Conference
2014-15	Houston	6-24	1-17
2015-16	Houston	6-24	2-16
2016-17	Houston	12-19	4-12
2017-18	Houston	20-12	9-7
2018-19	Houston	15-16	9-7
2019-20	Houston	12-19	5-11
2020-21	Houston	17-8	12-5
2021-22	Houston	18-16	7-9
2022-23	Houston	15-16	10-5
2023-24	Houston	14-16	5-13
2024-25	Houston	5-25	1-17

The 2024-25 Season
Hughey and the Cougars faced a tough challenge when three student-athletes were ruled out for the season due to injuries sustained in October and early November, leaving Houston with just nine eligible players.

Despite the setbacks faced during the season, the Cougars earned a 79-76 win over #24/rv Oklahoma State on Jan. 14, 2025. The victory marked Houston's first against a ranked opponent since a 71-69 win at No. 24/21 South Florida on Feb. 12, 2023, and the first at Fertitta Center since a 67-49 win over No. 13/13 South Florida on Feb. 27, 2021.

During his tenure, Hughey's most notable student-athlete, Laila Blair, set new program records and finished her collegiate career as the second-leading scorer in program history with 1,975 points.

Blair also became Houston's all-time leader in 3-pointers (255), most minutes played (4,360) and most games started (127). She ranked second in games played with 145 and fourth in assists with 386.

The 2023-24 Season
In Hughey’s 10th season and first season in the Big 12 Conference, the Cougars reached marks that have not been seen in decades and brought home its first All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention selection, as Laila Blair earned her fourth career conference accolade.

Hughey coached several student-athletes to career milestones as N’Yah Boyd and Bria Patterson joined the 1,000 point club. Blair reached 1,500 career points and concluded the season with 1,606 points for sixth all-time in program scoring history. Britney Onyeje concluded her career with 981 points and added her name to the Houston record books as second all-time in most 3-pointers made with 212.

The Cougars’ defense ranked seventh nationally in turnovers forced per game (21.13), 10th in steals per game (11.2) and ranked 11th in turnover margin (+5.70). Houston’s reserves led the conference in bench points per game (26.1) and ranked 14th nationally.

The 2022-23 Season
In his ninth year, Hughey pushed the Cougars to feats in that had not been done in decades, as Houston played for the American Athletic Conference Tournament championship for the first time in program history, returned to its conference title game for the first time since 2004, beat a ranked team on the road for the first time since 2004 and saw two Cougars join the 1,000-Point Club. Junior Laila Blair produced multiple Cougar firsts in 2022-23. Blair was the first Cougar to be named The American All-Conference First Team after leading the Cougars in scoring (440), field goals made (154), assists (98) and minutes (1034), finished second in 3-point field goals (57), and free throws made (75). Blair was the also first Cougar ever named back-to-back American Player of the Week (Feb. 6-13).

The 2021-22 Season
In his eighth season, Hughey led the Cougars to their fourth postseason appearance during his tenure at the WNIT. Houston posted a winning record for the second-straight year. Hughey mentored sophomore Laila Blair to postseason honors, earning a spot on the All-Conference Second-Team after being named to the conference's All-Freshman Team in 2020-21.

The 2020-2021 Season
In his seventh season, the Cougars had their third postseason appearance in the last four years at the women’s NIT. The cougars finished with a 17-8 record and a 12-5 mark in conference, the best record under Hughey at the University of Houston. During the season, Houston took down No. 13 USF as well as Power 5 schools Oklahoma and Auburn.

The 2019-20 Season
The Cougars battled through adversity throughout the season, anchored by senior leadership from Dorian Branch. Under the tutelage of Hughey, Branch became the 26th member of the 1,000-point club at Houston after earning Preseason Second Team All-Conference accolades. With a schedule packed with ranked opponents and holiday tournaments in both Canada and New York the Cougars developed under Hughey and his staff as they reloaded for the 2020-21 season.

The 2018-19 season
In his fifth season at Houston, Hughey’s squad exhibited its gritty, in-your-face style of defense that is perfectly paired with its fast-paced offense.

Under the tutelage of Hughey and his staff, the Houston made its second straight postseason appearance and secured a fourth-place finish in the American standings, its highest since joining the league.

Three of the members of his first signing class surpassed the 1,000 career points, mark as Serithia Hawkins surpassed 900 rebounds as well to become one of the most prolific forwards in Cougar history.

Houston ushered in a new era, playing a large portion of its season in the newly built Fertitta Center, winning six contest in the $60 million arena.

Houston standout Dorian Branch took on a larger role in the offense and concluded the regular-season with second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors.

THE 2017-18 SEASON
Hughey's fourth season in 2017-18 was a banner year for the Cougars that saw the squad make the postseason for the first time since 2010-11 with a berth in the Women's NIT. Under Hughey, Houston won 20 games for the 12th time in program history and finished fifth in the American Athletic Conference standings, the highest finish for the squad since joining the league.

The Cougars matched a program record with 11 non-conference wins during the first half of the 2017-18 season, and eventually received three votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, the most since Houston was ranked in the top-25 poll in 2010-11. The Cougars also reached a milestone for the second-consecutive season, when they broke the program record for 3-pointers made as a team with 247.

The 2017-18 had a certain resiliency instilled among the program. Hughey's Cougars completed nine second-half comebacks, when trailing by eight or more points, earning the affectionate nickname among fans as the #CardiacCoogs.

THE 2016-17 SEASON
Hughey's third season at the helm of the Cougars was the 2016-17 campaign, where the Cougars took big strides toward becoming the powerhouse program of old. Hughey helped the Cougars double their win total, picking up 12 wins, including season-series sweeps of American Athletic Conference foes Tulsa and East Carolina. Hughey capped the season with an upset of the No. 7 seed Cincinnati in the American Championship First Round to register his first win in the postseason tournament.

Hughey's freshman class for the 2016-17 season proved to be one of the best in school history. Jasmyne Harris and Angela Harris each landed on The American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team, marking Hughey's second and third selections to the squad, while Harris became just Houston's fifth freshman to score 350 points and pull down 150 rebounds in their rookie campaign.

THE 2015-16 SEASON
Hughey's second season leading the Cougars came in 2015-16 as he continued to build towards the future success of the program. Houston picked up wins over SMU and Rice for the second consecutive year while also collecting big wins against UCF and in-state rivals Incarnate Word and Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. The Cougars finished the 2015-16 season with a 4-2 record against teams from the Lone Star State.

The Cougars saw immediate success from standout freshman Serithia Hawkins as part of Hughey's first recruiting class. Hawkins led the team in points per game and rebounds per game en route to being unanimously voted to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team.

THE 2014-15 SEASON
Hughey's first season at the helm came in 2014-15, as the first year head coach laid the foundation for future success. The Cougars knocked off in-state rivals SMU, UTSA and Rice during the season, which was highlighted by a 2-1 trip through the Athletes in Action Classic in Lubbock.

Individually, returning Cougars set 54 single-season statistical highs under the tutelage of Hughey in 2014-15. Players benefiting most from Hughey's leadership include Jessieka Palmer, who more than doubled her scoring average to lead UH with 9.6 points per game, and Tyler Gilbert, who blocked 63 shots in 2014-15, the fifth-best mark in Houston history. Hughey's mentorship was also evident in the success experienced by point guards Alecia Smith and Bianca Winslow. Smith recorded a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the first time in 2014-15 and finished 10th in The American with 3.1 assists per game. Winslow, meanwhile, finished second on the team with 59 total assists after combining for 17 helpers in her first two collegiate seasons.

PRIOR TO HOUSTON
Hughey came to the University of Houston with 10 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience and is widely thought of as one of the basketball coaching profession's rising stars. He helped guide five different schools to the postseason each year from 2007-14, including taking six consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament with four separate programs.

From 2007-14, Hughey's teams never finished below the .500 mark, and he helped haul in three top-15 nationally ranked recruiting classes from 2010-2014 with two separate programs. "First and foremost, I'd like to thank God, because without him none of this would have been possible. I'd also like to thank everyone else who was involved in this selection process for having the confidence in me to take this program back to the top where it belongs. The University of Houston is one of the best schools in the nation and I'm elated to be here and get this thing going," Hughey said. Hughey spent the two seasons prior to taking over at UH as an assistant at Florida State (2012-14), guiding the Seminoles to two consecutive NCAA Second Rounds, while collecting a 44-22 record during his tenure there. Known for his keen ability to evaluate talent and recruit, Hughey helped develop Natasha Howard into WBCA All-American, an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and a Senior CLASS Second Team All-American at Florida State. Howard was selected as the fifth overall pick by the Indiana Fever in the 2014 WNBA Draft, making herthe highest WNBA Draft selection in FSU history. With Hughey's help, the Seminoles placed a league-best three players on the All-ACC First Team during the 2012-13 campaign, while he helped develop forward Chelsea Davis, who signed a professional contract overseas for the 2013-14 season. On the recruiting circuit, Hughey played a big part in helping FSU sign one of the nation's top classes in 2013, as the group was ranked as the nation's No. 7 class by All-Star Girls Report and No. 11 by ESPNW HoopGurlz. The group included three top-100 players, including McDonald's All-American Kai James. Before coming to Florida State, Hughey spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Texas. While in Austin, he helped the program advance to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments land consecutive top-15 recruiting classes. Hughey lived up to his reputation as being one of the best recruiters in the game, signing the nation's No. 12 class in 2012 and country's 10th best class in 2011. In addition to his stellar recruiting reputation, Hughey has also shown the ability to develop talent in the state of Texas, as he worked extensively with 2012 Big 12 All-Defensive honoree Ashley Gayle, while seven different players earned all-league honors during his two-year stint with the Longhorns. Before heading to the Southwest, Hughey spent the 2009-10 campaign coaching at Rutgers University. Under the tutelage of Hall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer, he helped guide the Scarlet Knights to 19 victories and the program's eighth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Hughey played a primary role in Rutgers' recruiting efforts during his time in New Jersey and led the Scarlet Knights to one of their top recruiting classes in several seasons.

Previously, Hughey served as the recruiting coordinator at UCF during the 2008-09 season. Under the leadership of current head coach Joi Williams, Hughey helped guide the Knights to one of the most exciting runs in program history, as they were able to win four games in four days to claim the Conference USA Tournament crown and the school's third NCAA Tournament berth. UCF defeated Houston in the quarterfinals of that tournament en route to hoisting the championship trophy. During his stay in Orlando, he enticed prep standout Gevenia Carter to sign with the Knights, marking the UCF program's first-ever Top-100 recruit. A native of Columbia, S.C., Hughey was also an assistant coach as South Carolina during the 2007-08 season, helping guide the Gamecocks to a WNIT Second Round appearance. Hughey earned his first Division I coaching gig at South Carolina State (2004-07), where he spent three seasons as an assistant coach. During his time with the Bulldogs, Hughey helped the 2005-06 team finish with a winning record in MEAC play.

PERSONAL
Before hitting the college circuit, Hughey developed several Division I players as an assistant varsity boys coach at W. J. Kennan High School in Columbia, S.C from 2001-04. Hughey also worked as a scholastic coach at C.A. Johnson Preparatory Academy and Alcorn Middle School, both in South Carolina.

Hughey spent three years attending South Carolina State before earning his bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Limestone in 2006. He attended C.A. Preparatory Academy, where he was a three-year basketball letterwinner and claimed the state championship during his senior season. Hughey also lettered in football and cross country. Hughey lives in Houston with his wife Shae M. Young-Hughey and is the father to one son, Hunter and two daughters, Sanabara and Rhonda.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT RONALD HUGHEY
"The University of Houston has made an excellent choice by hiring Ron Hughey as its new women's basketball coach. Coach Hughey will bring an expertise and energy level to the program that will excite fans and put Houston Women's Basketball back on the map. Having watched him coach up close, I know his players will improve immensely and love learning from him. I look forward to following Houston Basketball in the years to come."
- Mike Thibault
Former head coach of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, three-time WNBA Coach of the Year, assistant coach for 2006 United States Women's National team

"The University of Houston is very fortunate to welcome Ron Hughey as its new women's basketball coach. He has a passion for coaching, a great temperament for relationships and unmatched work ethic. He has a wealth of experience gleaned from his 10 years as an assistant coach at the Division I level. I look for great things from the Cougars for years to come."
- Sue Semrau
Former Florida State head coach

"From the time I first met Ronald he had expressed his desire to lead a program and impact the lives of student-athletes. I join in his excitement to fulfill his dream."
- Joi Williams
Former UCF head coach

"My teammates and I are thrilled for Coach Hughey and his new players at Houston. He has meant a lot to me as my position coach for the last two seasons at Florida State. He brings energy and has a great way of relating to his players."
- Natasha Howard
Former forward at Florida State (Fifth pick in 2014 WNBA Draft - Indiana Fever)

"Ron brings enthusiasm, energy and a vision to the University of Houston women's basketball program. He is a relationship builder, which is necessary in coaching your own players and recruiting players of the future."
-Carol Ross
Former head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, 2012 WNBA Coach of the Year

"I'm so excited for Ron and the University of Houston. I believe this is a perfect fit for both Ron and the program. Ron has an incredible work ethic, and his passion and love for the game are second to none. He is committed to an up-tempo, aggressive style of basketball that players and fans will love. I have no doubt he will have an immediate impact on the Houston Cougars program."
-Gail Goestenkors
Former head coach at Texas (2007-12)