CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. –
Rekha Patterson resigned as Southeast Missouri's head women's basketball coach to accept a coaching position at a different institution Friday.
Patterson spent nine years at SEMO in the first head coaching job of her career. She compiled an overall record of 126-142 and 77-83 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Patterson also led the Redhawks to the OVC Tournament seven times and the NCAA Tournament once.
SEMO's best year with Patterson at the helm came in 2019-20, where the Redhawks went 25-7 overall and won the OVC Tournament. Unfortunately, the Redhawks did not get to play in the NCAA Tournament that season due to a global COVID-19 pandemic which canceled the event. Patterson was voted the 2019-20 OVC Coach of the Year as well.
Patterson coached one OVC Freshman of the Year (Tesia Thompson, 2017-18), two OVC Defensive Players of the Year (Adrianna Murphy, 2017-18; LaTrese Saine, 2020-21), six First-Team All-OVC selections, three Second-Team All-Conference picks and two OVC All-Newcomer Team honorees during her career.
Prior to SEMO, Patterson was a graduate assistant (2002-04) and assistant coach (2009-13) at Baylor, an assistant coach at both Eastern Illinois (2004-06) and Creighton (2007-08) and worked as an assistant (2006-07) and associate head coach (2013-15) at Ball State.
A national search for SEMO's next head women's basketball coach will begin immediately.