Texas State announced the hiring of Chris Kielsmeier as the new head coach for the Bobcats women's basketball program.
Kielsmeier comes over from Cleveland State where he led the program for eight seasons, finishing with an 180-80 overall record along with two conference championships and one appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Texas State community and looking forward to an amazing opportunity to build something really special with the Bobcat Family," Kielsmeier said in an official statement. "I would like to thank President Kelly Damphousse and Athletics Director Don Coryell for putting their faith in me to lead the women's basketball program as they enter the prestigious PAC-12 era. I can't wait to get started with building on the tradition and success the program has had in the past, while instilling a new standard of excellence that will see the Bobcat women's basketball program become a perennial contender for championships and postseason bids."
Prior to Cleveland State, Kielsmeier was the head coach of both Howard Payne and Wayne State. At Howard Paye, Kielsmeier led the team to the NCAA Division III national championship during the 2007-2008 season before finishing his tenure with a 179-44 overall record. At Wayne State, Kielsmeier led the program to five appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament and while finishing his tenure with a 237-72 overall record, the most wins as head coach in program history.
Kielsmeier's success across three programs is one of the reasons Director of Athletics Don Coryell wanted him to lead the program at Texas State.
"Chris Kielsmeier is a proven winner and one of the most respected coaches in women's basketball," Coryell said in an official statement. "His track record of success, combined with his ability to recruit at a high level, makes him the ideal leader for our program. Chris has a clear vision and a plan to elevate Texas State women's basketball, and he possesses an elite eye for identifying and developing talent that fits his system. We are excited about the future under his leadership."
Texas State enters a new era as the Bobcats will make the move into the Pac-12 Conference in July of this year. Since making the jump to Division I in 1984, the Bobcats have made the NCAA Tournament twice in 1997 and 2003 after capturing the Southland Tournament championships.
