University of Toledo Athletics

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As the winningest coach in University of Toledo Women’s Basketball history, Head Coach Tricia Cullop has transformed the program into a nationally recognized powerhouse. 

Under her leadership, Toledo has made 11 trips to the postseason and has won eight championships, including a postseason WNIT title in 2011, MAC Tournament Championships in 2017 and 2023, and a school-record five MAC regular-season championships (2010-11, 2012-13, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24). The Rockets’ 2011 WNIT Championship was the first major postseason tournament title won by a Mid-American Conference team. Cullop has been named MAC Coach of the Year six times (2009, 2011, 2013, 2022, 2023, 2024), tied with BGSU’s Curt Miller for the most by any MAC coach.

Cullop led Toledo to its third straight MAC Regular Season Championship in 2023-24 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the WBIT following victories over Cleveland State and St. John’s. The Rockets finished with a 28-6 record, 17-1 in MAC play.  Cullop was named MAC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season.

In 2022-23, Toledo won the 2023 MAC Tournament Title, the program’s ninth tournament crown and first since 2017, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in her career. UT posted a 29-5 overall record and 16-2 MAC record last season, tying the school record for most wins in a season.

UT received national attention in 2002-23 for its regular season win over nationally ranked Michigan (Dec. 8) and its upset victory over No. 5 seed and Big 12 Tournament champ Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (March 18). The NCAA Tournament victory over the Cyclones was the Rockets’ first since 1996 and marked the largest upset in terms of tournament seeding in school history. 

Individually, Cullop helped tutor Quinesha Lockett (2022-23) and Sophia Wiard (2023-24)to MAC Player of the Year Awards in back-to-back years. Lockett was also named to the Women’s College All-Star game at the Women’s Final Four in Cleveland.

A respected leader in her profession, Cullop served as the President of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 membership years and continues to be an active member today. She received the 2022 WBCA Carol Eckman Integrity in Coaching Award, a testament to her success in creating space for authenticity and community on and off the court throughout her 30-year coaching career.

But her greatest accomplishment is measured by those who consistently gather at Savage Arena to support her Rockets. As fans show up early to connect with players pre-game, enthusiastically cheer and encourage the team throughout the game, and make personal connections beyond the post-game chatter, Coach Cullop takes pride in what she builds. Her teams have finished in the Top 30 in the country in attendance 10 out of the past 11 seasons and have led the MAC attendance since she set foot on campus.

Driven by her “Invest, Improve, and Inspire” motto, Coach Cullop develops people as well as winning records. She proves that by leading with empathy and whole-person growth, the team trusts one another to achieve.   

Coach Cullop has always been a trailblazer. As a player, Cullop was a record-setting high school All-American and had a successful collegiate career at Purdue University. She helped bring Purdue its first-ever Big Ten Championship and contributed to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92). Cullop, who was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, is on a mission to extend her impact as a head coach.

Coach Cullop is committed to serving those around her. From her players and their families to staff and the larger athletic department to the greater Toledo community, Coach Cullop nurtures environments and relationships that support human development and care. She believes creating space for fearless authenticity enables genuine connections that betters not only women’s sports, but also the world. 

Cullop was an assistant women’s basketball coach at Radford, Long Beach State, and Xavier, before taking over as head coach of Evansville in 2000. With an eight-season winning record, conference championship, and WNIT appearance, she was named the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year in 2008.

Cullop received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Purdue. She was a team captain for the Boilermakers and a three-time academic All-Big Ten selection, and was named the Purdue Mortar Board Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 1993.


Cullop's Head Coaching Ledger