UCF Fires Women's Basketball Coach After 4 Seasons

Sytia Messer's tenure ends following a 12-18 record last season in the Big 12 Conference.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 7:15pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting in black, gold, and white, depicting a women's basketball game broken down into sharp, overlapping shapes, conceptually representing the transition the UCF program is undergoing.A cubist interpretation of the challenges facing the UCF women's basketball program as it seeks a new direction under a new head coach.Today in Orlando

The University of Central Florida has fired Sytia Messer as the head coach of its women's basketball team after four seasons. Messer's teams struggled in her time with the program, going 12-18 last season in the Big 12 Conference, their second year in the league.

Why it matters

UCF is looking to take its women's basketball program to new heights, and the university believes a change in leadership is necessary to achieve that goal. The Knights have not had a winning season since 2019, and the administration is seeking a new coach who can build the team into a Big 12 contender.

The details

Messer was hired as the UCF women's basketball head coach in 2022 after previously serving as an assistant at Arkansas. In her four seasons leading the Knights, the team never finished above .500 and failed to make the NCAA Tournament. This past season, UCF went 12-18 overall and 4-14 in Big 12 play.

  • Messer was hired as UCF's head coach in 2022.
  • The Knights went 12-18 overall and 4-14 in the Big 12 in the 2025-26 season.

The players

Sytia Messer

The former head coach of the UCF women's basketball team, who was fired after four seasons with the program.

UCF Knights

The women's basketball team of the University of Central Florida, which competes in the Big 12 Conference.

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What’s next

UCF will begin a search for a new head coach to lead the women's basketball program.

The takeaway

UCF is seeking a new direction for its women's basketball team after four seasons of struggles under Sytia Messer. The university is committed to finding a coach who can build the Knights into a Big 12 contender and return the program to the NCAA Tournament.