Auburn fired women’s basketball coach Johnnie Harris on Thursday, a day after the Tigers lost 60-50 to Florida in the first round of the SEC Tournament. The decision came after a disappointing season in which Auburn finished 12-18 overall and 3-13 in SEC play.
Athletic director John Cohen expressed appreciation for Harris’ efforts but said the program needed a change.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Johnnie,” Cohen said in a statement, as reported by TK of TK. “Having worked with her for more than a decade at two institutions, I know Johnnie is an exceptional person with a great basketball mind. I thank Johnnie for the way she represented Auburn and for her contributions to our women’s basketball program. While these decisions are never easy, the program must move in a new direction.”
Harris was hired in 2021 after serving as an associate head coach under Vic Schaefer at Mississippi State and Texas. Harris followed Schaefer to Texas from 2020-2021, before she took over an Auburn women’s basketball program that had struggled in the years before her arrival. In her first season, the Tigers went 10-18, improving on the 5-19 record from the previous year. By 2022-23, Auburn posted a 16-15 record, marking its first winning season since 2018-19.
The 2023-24 campaign was Harris’ most successful, as Auburn went 20-12 and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. The Tigers finished 8-8 in SEC play and reached the First Four before falling to Arizona. However, Auburn was unable to maintain that momentum this season, ending in a four-way tie for last place in the SEC and losing its final seven games.
Harris and Cohen had a long-standing professional relationship, having worked together at Mississippi State from 2016-22, when Cohen was the university’s athletic director. Despite their connection, Auburn’s struggles this season ultimately led to her dismissal.
Tournament season tends to bring changes in coaching staff. Last season, former Tennessee women’s basketball coach was fired following the school’s second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament against NC State.
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