DeUnna Hendrix signs four-year contract extension with HPU women’s basketball

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University athletic director Dan Hauser announced on Thursday that women’s basketball head coach DeUnna Hendrix has inked a four-year extension, which runs through the 2020-21 season.

During her first five seasons, Hendrix led the Panthers to three top-two finishes in Big South play along with two Big South Tournament championship game appearances. The fastest HPU Division I coach to 50 wins, Hendrix has guided the Purple & White to the second best mark in the conference since the beginning of her tenure in 2012-13.

“Coach Hendrix has established an outstanding and successful women’s basketball program at High Point University,” Hauser said. “I am excited to announce this contract extension for DeUnna and see a bright future for the program under her leadership. Coach Hendrix has built a championship culture that earned a No. 15 ranking in the country for academics by the WBCA this past season and Big South Conference championship teams during her tenure. HPU fans and alumni will enjoy the heights this program will reach in the coming years.”

After back-to-back seasons with a roster full of underclassmen, Hendrix and the Panthers enter the 2017-18 season with experience and momentum. The squad finished the 2016-17 season with a flurry winning 10 of its last 11 games to climb from eighth on Jan. 29 all the way to one game shy of the conference lead at the end of the season.

“I am incredibly grateful and honored to be able to further my time at High Point University,” Hendrix said. “This is truly a special place with extraordinary people. I’d like to thank Dr. Qubein, Dan Hauser and the High Point University community for continuing to believe in me and the direction of our program. I look forward to reaching new heights in the years to come.”

Overall, the Purple & White have posted an 86-70 record to go along with a 64-32 mark in league action with the Kokomo, Ind. native at the helm. Meanwhile, Hendrix and the Panthers have protected home-court advantage winning 47-of-68 contests in the Millis Center.

Last year, Hendrix coached the Big South Player of the Year for the second time in the last four seasons as Emma Bockrath took home the honor in 2016-17. Along with Stacia Robertson in 2014-15, Hendrix has guided two of HPU’s three Big South Players of the Year.

Similarly, under Hendrix’s tutelage, Kaylah Keys became the program’s all-time Division I scoring leader by tallying 1,869 career points. Likewise, the Memphis, Tenn. native finished in the top-seven in the league in scoring all four seasons while garnering all-conference accolades in three different years.

Behind Keys’ consistent efforts, Hendrix’s teams have led the Big South in scoring three times in the last four seasons and finished second the other year. Overall, High Point has averaged almost two more points per game than any other conference team during Hendrix’s five seasons roaming the sideline.

Heading into the 2017-18 campaign, the Panthers lose Keys to graduation, but return everyone else while adding two talented freshmen guards.