If you’re looking for one of the young, bright, and up and coming head coaches in women’s basketball, look no further than North Texas head coach Shanice Stephens. She is beginning her second season with the Mean Green and is beginning to transform the women’s basketball program into one that will be synonymous with success.

In her first year with North Texas, Stephens guided the Mean Green through peaks and valleys but the records set during her first year have the program moving in the right direction. Stephens led the Mean Green to tie the school record for road victories in a single season. North Texas won three road games just four games into the season, marking the fastest the Mean Green has won three road games in school history.

Along the way she guided North Texas to finish the year in the top 10 all-time in 11 different offensive categories. Under her tutelage North Texas hit the second-most 3-pointers, scored the sixth-most points, had the third-best free throw percentage, and had the fifth-most steals in school history.

Individually Stephens brought out the best in her players last season. The Mean Green had three different players score 30 points or more in a game, marking the only time that has happened in 33 years of basketball at North Texas in a single season. The improvement was across the board as Stephens saw 12 different players set career highs in points, while another 11 set career-best marks in rebounding last year.

On the court,  North Texas had dramatic victories under Stephens. She won her first home game against Valparaiso that saw the Mean Green rally from a 14-point second-half deficit. Her team pulled the upset of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with its win over Arkansas State and Stephens advanced the Mean Green deeper in the conference tournament than any other first-year head coach at North Texas.

Stephens officially took control of the North Texas women’s basketball program on April 16, 2008. She came to Denton as one of the best recruiters in the nation after spending time with Clemson and Rice.  Stephens spent three seasons as the associate head coach at Clemson and was at Rice for nine seasons prior to that.  

Stephens, 38, is the youngest head coach in the Sun Belt Conference and the second-youngest Division I head coach in the state of Texas. While at Clemson, Stephens was the recruiting coordinator that saw the Lady Tigers sign some of the best classes in school history, including the nation’s 22nd-ranked class in 2006 by The All-Star Girls Report.

Lele Hardy, the first recruit to sign under McKinney, had one of the most prolific freshman campaigns in program history. Hardy was named to the 2007 ACC All-Freshman team and set numerous school freshman records in 2006-07.

Stephens, who has a reputation for developing great defenders, guided Hardy to an ACC-best 3.27 steals per game her freshman season. Hardy collected 98 for the season to rank second all-time in program history.

During her time at Rice from 1996-2005, Stephens was part of program that reached heights never before seen by the women’s basketball team. Rice won 20 games or more in six of the nine seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament twice (2000, 2005) along with trips to the WNIT in 1998, 1999, 2002, and 2004.

Along with the six post-season appearances for Rice, Stephens helped the Lady Owls to 179 wins and was part of the program that averaged just under 20 wins per season in her time at Rice. The 2004-05 season saw Rice capture a school record 24 wins and its second WAC Tournament title and trip to the NCAA Tournament.  In 1999-00 Stephens helped lead Rice to the WAC Tournament Championship and the school’s first ever NCAA Tournament berth.

Stephens had a significant impact in the development of four-time All-WAC selection, an All-Time Top 50 WAC player and former WNBA player Marla Brumfield. Under Stephens’ guidance, Brumfield finished first in Rice history with 311 steals, and third in Lady Owl history with 1,703 career points scored. Stephens also coached Charonda Wilson, a two-time WAC All-Defensive Team selection. Stephens spent three years as an Athletic Amateur Union (AAU) coach in Oklahoma, guiding her 1996 team to the state championship.

Stephens earned her undergraduate degree in 1993 from Oklahoma State and was a member of two NCAA Tournament teams. The Cowgirls advanced to the Sweet 16 of the national tournament during her senior season. Stephens started at point guard for Austin Peay during the 1989-90 season, her first year of eligibility.

She earned a master’s degree in 1996 from the University of Central Oklahoma.

The former Shanice Bottoms is married to Garrett Stephens. She has two daughters, Sydney Alexandria (9) and Lauryn A’lyce (3), a son, Grayson David (1), and two stepsons Garrett Dexter (15) and Grant Donovan (10).