Arkansas Tech Hires New Women's Basketball Head Coach

Daryl Fimple, a six-time state champion high school coach, takes over the Golden Suns program.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 1:33pm

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A dynamic, cubist-inspired painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and planes in shades of blue, red, and yellow, capturing the energy and movement of a women's basketball game.Fimple's appointment as the new Golden Suns head coach signals a new era of success for one of Division II's most storied women's basketball programs.Little Rock Today

Arkansas Tech University has named Daryl Fimple as the new head coach of the women's basketball team. Fimple, a former ATU player and student assistant coach under legendary coach Joe Foley, has an impressive resume that includes six state championships at the high school level with North Little Rock High School.

Why it matters

Fimple inherits one of the most successful women's basketball programs in NCAA Division II history, with the Golden Suns winning two NAIA national titles and making seven national tournament semifinal appearances. His hiring represents a full-circle moment, as he first got his start in coaching at ATU under Foley.

The details

Fimple won 668 games during a high school coaching career that included stints at Lonoke High School and North Little Rock High School, where he led the Lady Charging Wildcats to six state championships. He will be tasked with continuing the Golden Suns' championship tradition, which includes 1,125 all-time wins, a top-10 mark in Division II history.

  • Fimple's appointment was announced on March 30, 2026.
  • He will be introduced to the ATU community as head coach on April 1, 2026.

The players

Daryl Fimple

The new head coach of the Arkansas Tech women's basketball team. Fimple is an ATU alumnus and six-time state champion high school coach.

Joe Foley

The all-time leader in basketball coaching victories at Arkansas Tech, a two-time NAIA national champion, and a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Fimple served as a student assistant under Foley early in his coaching career.

Abby Davis

The director of athletics at Arkansas Tech University, who announced Fimple's appointment as the new women's basketball head coach.

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What they’re saying

“Daryl has been preparing for this opportunity since he was 10 years old. From his first exposure to Arkansas Tech through Marty Barnes' basketball camps to his days as a player for the Wonder Boys and continuing through his service on Joe Foley's women's basketball staff as a student assistant, Daryl became encultured in Arkansas Tech basketball from an early age.”

— Abby Davis, ATU Director of Athletics

“Like all of us, Daryl went through the growing process. He started at Lonoke...he won there, and then he got to North Little Rock and turned it into a perennial powerhouse. He's grown into a fabulous coach who has a great rapport with his kids. They love playing for him. He knows how to have fun, but he knows how to work hard, too.”

— Joe Foley, Former ATU Women's Basketball Head Coach

What’s next

Fimple will be introduced to the ATU community at a special event on April 1, 2026, where he will have the opportunity to share his vision for the Golden Suns program.

The takeaway

Fimple's hiring represents a homecoming for the ATU alumnus, who now has the chance to lead one of the most successful women's basketball programs in Division II history. His proven track record of building championship-caliber teams at the high school level suggests he is well-equipped to continue the Golden Suns' legacy of excellence.