UCF Women's Basketball Coach Sytia Messer Departs After Struggling in Big 12

The school is launching a national search for a new head coach after Messer's four-year tenure.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 10:48pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented scene of a women's basketball game, with overlapping planes of navy, gold, and crimson colors representing the sport's intensity and the program's transition to a new conference.The departure of UCF's women's basketball coach reflects the challenges of elevating a program to a more competitive conference.Today in Orlando

The University of Central Florida has announced the departure of women's basketball head coach Sytia Messer after four seasons. Messer, who previously served as an assistant at Baylor and LSU, struggled to win games during her time leading the Knights, posting a 49-69 overall record and a 14-55 mark in Big 12 conference play as the team transitioned to the new league.

Why it matters

UCF's women's basketball program has faced significant challenges in recent years, including the departure of longtime head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson and the move to the highly competitive Big 12 conference. Messer's inability to find success on the court has led the school to seek new leadership as it aims to build a program that can compete at a high level.

The details

Sytia Messer was hired as UCF's women's basketball head coach four years ago after serving as an assistant at Baylor and LSU. However, she struggled to win games during her tenure, leading the Knights to a 49-69 overall record and a 14-55 mark in Big 12 regular season play as the team transitioned to the new conference. UCF has now announced Messer's departure and said it will conduct a national search for her replacement.

  • Messer was hired as UCF's women's basketball head coach four years ago.
  • During her four-year tenure, the Knights posted a 49-69 overall record and a 14-55 mark in Big 12 regular season games.

The players

Sytia Messer

The former head coach of the UCF women's basketball team, who previously served as an assistant at Baylor and LSU.

UCF

The University of Central Florida, which announced Messer's departure and said it will conduct a national search for a new women's basketball head coach.

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What’s next

UCF has said it will conduct a national search for a new women's basketball head coach to replace Sytia Messer.

The takeaway

UCF's women's basketball program has faced significant challenges in recent years, including the departure of its longtime head coach and the move to the highly competitive Big 12 conference. The school's decision to part ways with Sytia Messer after four seasons reflects its desire to find new leadership that can build a program capable of competing at a high level.