Women's Basketball
Freeman, Keith
Keith Freeman
- Title:
- Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach
- Phone:
- 325-0198
A veteran in the coaching ranks, Keith Freeman boasts more than 30 years of coaching experience as he enters his second season with Mississippi State women’s basketball ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
“One of the things I most admire about Keith is his great basketball mind,” said McCray-Penson. “He has a tremendous amount of experience on both sides of the floor, and he’s won at every level. He is extremely successful at developing post players. Not only is he a great teacher, he’s a great person.”
Prior to coming to Starkville, Freeman spent the two seasons on staff at Old Dominion from 2018-20. The associate head coach helped lead the Monarchs to their first postseason appearance since 2015 as well as back-to-back seasons with 20-plus wins. In 2019-20, Old Dominion compiled a 24-6 record and finished second in the C-USA. The Monarchs were projected to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament before the event was canceled.
Before going to ODU, Freeman served as the associate head coach and assistant coach at Wright State (2012-18) for a combined six seasons. During his tenure at Wright State, Freeman helped guide the Raiders to a 135-67 record, five postseason bids and five campaigns with 20-plus wins. In 2013-14, he helped coach Wright State to a school-record 26 wins and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Prior to Wright State, Freeman served as a head coach for 24 seasons with a 415-294 record.
Freeman spent the majority of his head coaching career at Valparaiso (1994-2012). During his time with the Crusaders, Freeman is the all-time winningest coach in program history with 286 victories. He helped lead the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances, two Mid-Continental Conference Championships and two Mid-Continental Conference Tournament Championships.
The three-time Mid-Continental Conference Coach of the Year coached 33 players to all-conference honors and produced the team’s first WNBA player in Marlous Nieuwveen, who played for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2005. In 2001-02, he coached the Crusaders to a 26-7 record and was named a finalist for the National Coach of the Year.
Prior to Valparaiso, Freeman spent time as the head coach at Saint Joseph's College and Huntington College, both in Indiana.
At Saint Joseph's (1990-94), Freeman went 85-28 in four seasons and was the Great Lakes Valley Coach of the Year in 1991-92. At Huntington (1983-90), Freeman was 19 when he was named the head women's coach and then 21 when he was named the head men's coach. As the youngest collegiate coach, Freeman guided the Huntington women to a National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship in 1984.
Freeman graduated cum laude from Huntington College in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration. He then earned his MBA in 1987 from Ball State.
“One of the things I most admire about Keith is his great basketball mind,” said McCray-Penson. “He has a tremendous amount of experience on both sides of the floor, and he’s won at every level. He is extremely successful at developing post players. Not only is he a great teacher, he’s a great person.”
Prior to coming to Starkville, Freeman spent the two seasons on staff at Old Dominion from 2018-20. The associate head coach helped lead the Monarchs to their first postseason appearance since 2015 as well as back-to-back seasons with 20-plus wins. In 2019-20, Old Dominion compiled a 24-6 record and finished second in the C-USA. The Monarchs were projected to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament before the event was canceled.
Before going to ODU, Freeman served as the associate head coach and assistant coach at Wright State (2012-18) for a combined six seasons. During his tenure at Wright State, Freeman helped guide the Raiders to a 135-67 record, five postseason bids and five campaigns with 20-plus wins. In 2013-14, he helped coach Wright State to a school-record 26 wins and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Prior to Wright State, Freeman served as a head coach for 24 seasons with a 415-294 record.
Freeman spent the majority of his head coaching career at Valparaiso (1994-2012). During his time with the Crusaders, Freeman is the all-time winningest coach in program history with 286 victories. He helped lead the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances, two Mid-Continental Conference Championships and two Mid-Continental Conference Tournament Championships.
The three-time Mid-Continental Conference Coach of the Year coached 33 players to all-conference honors and produced the team’s first WNBA player in Marlous Nieuwveen, who played for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2005. In 2001-02, he coached the Crusaders to a 26-7 record and was named a finalist for the National Coach of the Year.
Prior to Valparaiso, Freeman spent time as the head coach at Saint Joseph's College and Huntington College, both in Indiana.
At Saint Joseph's (1990-94), Freeman went 85-28 in four seasons and was the Great Lakes Valley Coach of the Year in 1991-92. At Huntington (1983-90), Freeman was 19 when he was named the head women's coach and then 21 when he was named the head men's coach. As the youngest collegiate coach, Freeman guided the Huntington women to a National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship in 1984.
Freeman graduated cum laude from Huntington College in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration. He then earned his MBA in 1987 from Ball State.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | Sam Purcell Media Session - 6/17/25
Tuesday, June 17
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | NCAA TOURNAMENT | Second Round Post Game Press Conference vs. USC 03/24/25
Tuesday, March 25
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | NCAA TOURNAMENT | Second Round Preview Press Conference vs. USC 03/23/25
Sunday, March 23
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | NCAA TOURNAMENT | First Round Post Game Press Conference vs. California 3/22/25
Saturday, March 22
