Texas Tech Athletics announced Monday that Candi Whitaker is out as head coach of the Lady Raiders.
This was Whitaker’s fifth season as Texas Tech’s head coach. The Lady Raiders have a 6-7 record this season so far.
The Lady Raiders have lost both of their Big 12 games this season, including a 97-49 loss against No. 6 Baylor on Sunday.
Whitaker’s overall record as head coach was 55-82. In Big 12 play, her record was 14-62.
Whitaker played for the Lady Raiders as a point guard under coach Marsha Sharp from 2000-2002. Before she returned to Texas Tech in 2013, Whitaker spent one season as the associate head coach at Oklahoma State. She was also the head coach of the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 2006-2012.
In December 2015, Tech Athletics announced Whitaker signed a contract extension through 2020.
In their first game without Whitaker, the Lady Raiders will play Kansas at 6:30 p.m. on January 3 in the United Supermarkets Arena.
Coach Shimmy Gray-Miller will take over for the remainder of the season.
The following is a news release provided by Tech Athletics:
Whitaker Relieved of Duties as Head Coach
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt announced Candi Whitaker has been relieved of her duties as head coach of Texas Tech Lady Raider Basketball.
The coaching change comes in the midst of a disappointing season for the Lady Raiders as they have started 0-2 in Big 12 play, 6-7 overall.
“Lady Raider Basketball has a proud tradition of excellence,” Hocutt said. “We are not satisfied with the current state of the program and are determined to bring Texas Tech Women’s Basketball back to where it belongs in the Big 12 and national landscape.”
Current assistant coach Shimmy Gray-Miller has been named interim head coach and will lead the program for the remainder of the season. A nationwide search for Whitaker’s replacement will be conducted.
