Western Oklahoma State College Names Wade Whaley as Head Women's Basketball Coach
ALTUS, Okla. — Western Oklahoma State College is proud to announce the hiring of Wade Whaley as the new head coach of the Lady Pioneers women's basketball program.
Whaley brings a proven track record of success at every level of collegiate basketball, most recently serving as an assistant coach at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), a Division I program in the Southland Conference. During the 2024–25 season, he helped guide the Cardinals to an 18-14 overall record and a 12-8 mark in conference play, finishing fourth in the Southland Conference standings. The team reached the conference tournament semifinals and earned an invitation to the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
Over his coaching career, Whaley has amassed a remarkable 174-54 record as an assistant and has played a key role in the development of more than 15 players who went on to sign with NCAA Division II or higher programs over the past three years.
Before his time at UIW, Whaley served as an assistant at Grayson College during the 2023–24 season, where his squad notched three wins over nationally ranked opponents. Two of his players signed to NCAA Division I programs, and four earned All-NTJAC honors.
He previously spent two standout seasons at Murray State College (OK), helping lead the Aggies to back-to-back Region II regular season and tournament championships, as well as two NJCAA National Tournament appearances. Under his guidance, players earned numerous honors, including NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American, Region II Tournament MVP, and All-Region selections. He also helped send 10 student-athletes to four-year universities—nine of them to NCAA Division II institutions.
Whaley began his coaching career as a student assistant at West Texas A&M University, contributing to an era that included two Lone Star Conference regular season titles, two conference tournament championships, three NCAA Division II national tournament appearances, and a Sweet Sixteen run.
"Coach Whaley's passion for the game, relentless work ethic, and commitment to developing student-athletes make him a perfect fit for our program," said Matt Cartwright, Athletic Director at Western Oklahoma State College. "We are excited for the future of Lady Pioneer basketball under his leadership."
