Drury’s Amy Eagan leaving program for a Division 1 head coaching job

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Lindenwood University in the St. Louis area on Tuesday will announce the hiring of its next women’s basketball coach Amy Eagan.

Eagan spent the past three seasons as head coach at Drury University. Eagan went 87-9 (.888) during her three years at Drury and guided the Lady Panthers to a Great Lakes Valley Conference championship in all three of her seasons, keeping alive a streak of seven straight GLVC titles. She was named the NCAA-II Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association in 2021 and was the GLVC Coach of the Year in 2023.

“I want to thank Drury University, the athletics department, my players, my staff, boosters, and the Springfield community for all their support the last four years,” said Eagan. “The memories made here will last a lifetime, and I will forever be grateful! Drury will always hold a special place in my heart!”

Eagan arrived at Drury as an assistant coach in 2019, leaving her post as the head coach of her alma mater, Truman State, after six years leading the Bulldogs. When head coach Molly Miller departed for the head coaching position at Grand Canyon (also an NCAA-I institution), Eagan took the reigns at Drury in 2020-21. Inheriting a squad that was faced with the losses of two All-Americans to graduation, Hailey Diestelkamp and Dejah Bernard, she guided the Lady Panthers to a 24-2 record and an NCAA-II Runner-Up finish. This year, the Lady Panthers went 31-2 and became only the third team in the history of the GLVC to complete an undefeated regular season in the league and win the conference tournament in the same year. She was named the GLVC Coach of the Year as Drury went 20-0 in the conference and won the GLVC championship on March 5th with a 71-52 win over Lewis. Eagan’s Drury teams produced 13 All-GLVC selections in three years, four All-Midwest Region selections, three All-Americans, and the NCAA-II Player of the Year in 2021 Paige Robinson. She will take a career record of 275-151 to Lindenwood. In addition, to head coaching stops at Drury and Truman State, Eagan was the head coach at Ashford (Iowa) from 2010-13 and at St. Ambrose (Iowa) from 2005-07.

“I want to thank her for everything she did for Drury University and the Lady Panthers basketball program,” said Nyla Milleson, Drury’s Vice President & Director of Athletics. “Four years ago, she chose to come to Drury as an assistant, having already established herself as an outstanding head coach. When the opportunity came for her to take over our program, she produced championship teams, the Lady Panthers were national contenders every year, and her players excelled academically. Her teams personified excellence in academics and athletics. “As she now moves to the highest level of college basketball, I have no doubt that her teams will continue to accomplish great things, and she will make everyone associated with the Lady Panthers proud.”    

A national search for the Lady Panthers’ next head coach is underway. The Drury Lady Panthers will enter the 2023-24 season with an all-time record of 607-118, and their winning percentage of .837 is the best mark in all of NCAA-II women’s basketball. Drury has won 12 conference championships and five regional titles and has advanced to the Final Four three times. This year, they reached the NCAA-II Tournament for the 20th time in the program’s 23-year history.

“The Drury women’s basketball program is special, thanks to hundreds of student-athletes that have taken the floor as Lady Panthers, former coaches, administrators, and the best fans in the country in Division II,” said Milleson. “Those elements, in addition to our facilities, especially the O’Reilly Family Event Center, and Drury’s stellar academic reputation, will continue to attract the best coaches and players in the nation at our level. I’m looking forward to working on the process to find the right people that will continue that legacy.” 

Lindenwood completed its first year as an NCAA Division I program in 2022-23 and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.

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