View source for Sherri Coale

{{Short description|American basketball coach (born 1965)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Sherri Coale
| image = Sherri Coale.JPG
| alt = 
| caption =  
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|1|19}}
| birth_place = [[Healdton, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| player_years1= 1983–1987
| player_team1 = [[Oklahoma Christian Lady Eagles basketball|Oklahoma Christian]]
| coach_years1 = 1990–1996
| coach_team1 = [[Norman High School|Norman HS]]
| coach_years2 = 1996–2021
| coach_team2 = [[Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball|Oklahoma]]
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|513|294|record=y}}
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships =3x [[List of NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Final Four appearances by coach|NCAA Regional—Final Four]] (2002, 2009, 2010)<br>6× [[List of Big 12 Conference champions#Women.27s|Big 12 regular season championships]] (2000–2002, 2006, 2007, 2009)<br/>4× [[Big 12 women's basketball tournament|Big 12 Tournament]] championships ([[2002 Big 12 Conference women's basketball tournament|2002]], [[2004 Big 12 Conference women's basketball tournament|2004]], [[2006 Big 12 Conference women's basketball tournament|2006]], [[2007 Big 12 Conference women's basketball tournament|2007]])
| awards = [[Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame]]
| coaching_records = 
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's [[Basketball]]}}
{{MedalSport|Assistant coach for {{USA}} }}    {{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Under-19 World Championship]]}}    {{MedalBronze|[[USA Women's U18 and U19 teams|2001 Brno]] | Team Competition}}
{{MedalSport|Head coach for {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[2013 Summer Universiade|World University Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[USA Women's World University Games Team|2013 Kazan]] | Team Competition}}
| WBHOF = sherri-coale
}}

'''Sherri Kay Coale''' ({{nee|'''Buben'''}}; Born on January 19, 1965)<ref name="NCAA Coaches"/> is a retired college basketball coach. She was the head coach of the [[Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball|University of Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball]] team for 25 years, from 1996 to 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-17|title=Top five coaching candidates to take over at Oklahoma|url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31081603/the-top-oklahoma-coaching-candidates-sherri-coale-announces-retirement|access-date=2021-03-17|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref> Coale was inducted into the [[Women's Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 2016.

==Personal==
Coale grew up in [[Healdton, Oklahoma]] and married Dane Scott Coale (born 1964) on June 20, 1987. The couple has two children, son Colton (born 1992) and daughter Chandler (born 1996).  Coale has one brother, Jack.  Their parents are Beverly Stash and Joe Buben.

Coale completed her undergraduate studies at [[Oklahoma Christian University|Oklahoma Christian College]] in [[Oklahoma City]], where she graduated summa cum laude in 1987. She played on the school's Lady Eagles basketball team as a [[guard (basketball)|guard]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oceagles.com/sports/2017/7/6/womens-basketball-alumni-list.aspx|title=Women's Basketball Alumni List|publisher=Oklahoma Christian University athletics|access-date=July 7, 2023}}</ref>

Coale was inducted into the [[Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame]] in 2007.<ref name="oral hist">{{cite journal|last1=Nykolaiszyn|first1=Juliana|title=Oral history interview with Sherri Coale|journal=Inductees of the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oral History Project|date=August 29, 2007|url=https://cdm17279.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/halloffame/id/74/rec/34|access-date=1 August 2022}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Coale accepted the Oklahoma position in 1996. She went directly from a high school squad (having coached the previous six years at the local [[Norman High School]])<ref name="keynote speaker">{{cite web|last1=Emig|first1=Geurin|title=OU basketball coach Sherri Coale honored to be Iba Awards keynote speaker|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ousportsextra/ou-basketball-coach-sherri-coale-honored-to-be-iba-awards/article_4bac6055-dca8-51ec-b616-eb7240b55608.html|website=tulsaworld.com|publisher=Tulsa World|access-date=10 April 2015}}</ref> to an [[NCAA]] [[Division I (NCAA)|Division I]] team. Inheriting a team in turmoil at Oklahoma, within four years, Coale had the Sooners back in the NCAA Tournament. She brought the Sooners into the national spotlight in 2002 when her team went all the way to the national championship game, losing to undefeated Connecticut.<ref name="sooner bio">{{cite web|title=Sherri Coale School Bio|url=http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208803550|website=soonersports.com|publisher=The University of Oklahoma|access-date=10 April 2015}}</ref>

In 2005–2006, Coale's Sooners went 16–0 in [[Big 12]] play and became the second Big 12 basketball team, men's or women's, to go undefeated in conference play. The [[University of Kansas]] men's basketball team went undefeated in Big 12 play in the 2001–2002 season. In 2009 and 2010, Coale led the Sooners back to the NCAA Tournament Final Four in back-to-back seasons, losing tight games to Louisville and Stanford in the semifinals.

Coale announced her retirement at the conclusion of the 2020–21 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/2021/03/17/sherri-coale-retires-oklahoma-sooners-womens-college-basketball/4729099001/|title=Oklahoma women's basketball coach Sherri Coale retires after 25 seasons with Sooners|website=oklahoman.com|author=Barry Tramel|date=2021-03-17|access-date=2021-03-17}}</ref>

==USA Basketball==
Coale was named as assistant coach of the USA team which would compete at the Junior World Championship in [[Brno, Czech Republic]] during July 2001. The team won their first five games, including a record setting win against Mali. The 97–27 final score represented the largest margin of victory by a USA team in Junior World Championship history. The preliminary round results qualified the team for the medal rounds, where they faced the host team, the Czech Republic. With a home crowd cheering them on, the Czech team held a nine-point lead with just over six minutes to go. The USA team cut the lead down to three points with seconds to go, and good defense gave the ball back to the USA. However, the USA was called for an offensive foul, and lost possession. The Czech Republic team won 92–88, and went on to beat Russia 82–80 to win the gold medal. The USA team beat Australia 77–72 to win the bronze medal. <ref></https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/sid/2901/_/2001_World_Championship_for_Junior_Women/index.html></ref> [[Diana Taurasi]] was the leading scorer for the US with 19.3 points per game, while [[Alana Beard]] was close behind with 18.0 points per game. [[Nicole Powell]] was the leading rebounder for the US, with seven rebounds per game.<ref name="U19 2001"/>

==Head coaching record==
{{CBB Yearly Record Start|
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead|
|name=[[Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball|Oklahoma Sooners]]
|startyear=1996
|conference=[[Big 12 Conference]]
|endyear=2021
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1996–97 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|1996–97]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 5–22
 | conference   = 1–15
 | confstanding = 12th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1997–98 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|1997–98]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 8–19
 | conference   = 2–12
 | confstanding = T–9th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1998–99 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|1998–99]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 15–14
 | conference   = 8–8
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | postseason   = [[1999 Women's National Invitation Tournament|WNIT Second Round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1999–2000 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|1999–2000]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 25–8
 | conference   = 13–3
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | postseason   = [[2000 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Sweet 16]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2000–01 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2000–01]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 28–6
 | conference   = 15–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2001 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Sweet 16]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = confboth
 | season       = [[2001–02 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2001–02]]
 | name         = [[2001–02 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 32–4
 | conference   = 14–2
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2002 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Runner-Up]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2002–03 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2002–03]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 19–13
 | conference   = 9–7
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | postseason   = [[2003 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA first round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference tournament
 | season       = [[2003–04 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2003–04]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 24–9
 | conference   = 9–7
 | confstanding = 6th
 | postseason   = [[2004 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA second round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2004–05 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2004–05]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 17–13
 | conference   = 8–8
 | confstanding = T–6th
 | postseason   = [[2005 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA first round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = confboth
 | season       = [[2005–06 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2005–06]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 31–5
 | conference   = 16–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2006 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Sweet 16]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = confboth
 | season       = [[2006–07 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2006–07]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 28–5
 | conference   = 13–3
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | postseason   = [[2007 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Sweet 16]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2007–08 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2007–08]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 22–9
 | conference   = 11–5
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = [[2008 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA second round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2008–09 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2008–09]]
 | name         = [[2008–09 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 32–5
 | conference   = 15–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2009 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Final Four]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2009–10]]
 | name         = [[2009–10 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 27–11
 | conference   = 11–5
 | confstanding = T–2nd
 | postseason   = [[2010 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Final Four]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2010–11 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2010–11]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 23–12
 | conference   = 10–6
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | postseason   = [[2011 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Sweet 16]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2011–12 NCAA Division I women's basketball team|2011–12]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 21–13
 | conference   = 11–7
 | confstanding = T–2nd
 | postseason   = [[2012 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA second round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2012–13 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2012–13]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 24–11
 | conference   = 11–8
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = [[2013 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Sweet 16]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2013–14 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2013–14]]
 | name         = [[2013–14 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 18–15
 | conference   = 9–9
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | postseason   = [[2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA first round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2014–15 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2014–15]]
 | name         = [[2014–15 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 21–12
 | conference   = 13–5
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = [[2015 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA second round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2015–16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2015–16]]
 | name         = [[2015–16 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 22–11
 | conference   = 11–7
 | confstanding = T–4th
 | postseason   = [[2016 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA second round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2016–17]]
 | name         = [[2016–17 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 23–10
 | conference   = 13–5
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | postseason   = [[2017 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA second round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2017–18]]
 | name         = [[2017–18 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 16–15
 | conference   = 11–7
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = [[2018 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA first round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2018–19]]
 | name         = [[2018–19 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 8–22
 | conference   = 4–14
 | confstanding = T-8th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2019–20]]
 | name         = [[2019–20 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 12–18
 | conference   = 5–13
 | confstanding = 9th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2020–21]]
 | name         = [[2020–21 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 12–12
 | conference   = 9–9
 | confstanding = 6th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Oklahoma
 | overall    = {{Winning percentage|513|294|record=y}}
 | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|250|154|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall     = {{Winning percentage|513|294|record=y}}
}}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="NCAA Coaches">{{cite web|title=Women's Basketball Coaches Career|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careercoach|website=NCAA|access-date=26 Sep 2015}}</ref>

<ref name="U19 2001">{{cite web|title=FIFTH FIBA WOMEN'S U19/JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP -- 2001|url=http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2015/02/facts-2015-fiba-u19-world-championship-for-women.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222144926/http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2015/02/facts-2015-fiba-u19-world-championship-for-women.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 22, 2015}}</ref>

}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{citation | title=Queen of the Court | journal=Urban Tulsa Weekly | first=Dwayne | last=Davis | date=22–28 October 2009 | access-date=2009-10-27 | url=http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A28293 | archive-date=2011-09-27 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927173429/http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:28293 | volume=19 | issue=20 | url-status=dead }}
*{{cite web|last1=Tramel|first1=Berry|title=Oklahoma women's basketball: Sherri Coale is more than a coach, she's an icon for OU|url=http://newsok.com/oklahoma-womens-basketball-sherri-coale-is-more-than-a-coach-shes-an-icon-for-ou/article/3940609|website=newsok.com|publisher=NewsOK|access-date=10 April 2015}}
*{{cite web|title=Sherri Coale to coach United States|url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9047995/sherri-coale-oklahoma-sooners-coach-us-team-world-university-games|website=[[ESPN]]|publisher=ESPN|access-date=10 April 2015}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://library.okstate.edu/search-and-find/collections/digital-collections/oklahoma-womens-hall-of-fame/ Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oral History Project – OSU Library]
* [http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=208830375 Official bio]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coale, Sherri}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Oklahoma]]
[[Category:High school basketball coaches in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Christian Lady Eagles basketball players]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Carter County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Norman Public Schools teachers]]