Robin Pingeton held an introductory press conference as the new head coach of the Wisconsin women’s basketball team On April 1st, stressing the importance of recruiting and retaining talent for the team.
The press conference comes one week after UW Athletics announced Pingeton as the next women’s basketball coach following the resignation of former head coach Marisa Mosely.
Pingeton stressed the importance of recruiting throughout her statement, expressing her desire to keep basketball talent in the state.
“The one thing I know for sure is we have to lock down the borders if we want to bring women's basketball back to the level of excellence,” Pinegton said.
While Wisconsin produces high-quality basketball players, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has struggled to recruit top high school players in the state. Over 125 players from Wisconsin played in the 2025 NCAA women's basketball tournament, but none played for UW-Madison. This includes KK Arnold and Allie Ziebell, who are both from Wisconsin but play for the UConn Huskies, who are currently in the Final Four.
Pingeton outlined her intention to build relationships with high school basketball programs throughout the state to help Wisconsin remain competitive in recruitment. Pingeton said she is excited to bring in players who “match her vision” and aims to be transparent in her recruitment process so players know exactly what Wisconsin has to offer them.
“We want to build relationships and acquire new friends, from Washburn to Beloit to Prescott to Sturgeon Bay and everybody in between,” Pingeton said.
Pinegton also touched on her time in the Southeastern Conference and what she will take with her as she moves to the Big Ten.
“We have some tremendous coaches across the country, some tremendous players, and I've been blessed in the last decade,” Pingeton said. “I think that experience will help me be prepared for the Big Ten.”
Pingeton spent 15 seasons coaching women's basketball at Missouri, where she had a 250-218 record. Pingeton also coached for Illinois State and her alma mater, St. Ambrose. She led the Tigers to four appearances in the NCAA women's tournament, though in her last five years with the team, their best postseason run ended in the second round of the WNIT tournament.
Pingeton expressed her excitement for the job and her admiration for the Wisconsin women’s basketball program during the press conference.
“When I was at Illinois State, I always had my eye on this job, and I thought it would be a special place to coach someday. And now, full circle, seven years later, here we are today,” Pingeton said.
For now, Pingeton said she and her team are busy with the transfer portal. She announced that she would be adding assistant coaches Chris Bracey and McGhee Mann, who were on her staff at Missouri.
“Usually I speak off the cuff and from the heart, but the portal and the phones have been really, really busy,” she said.
Gabriella Hartlaub is the former arts editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has also written state politics and campus news. She currently is a summer reporting intern with Raleigh News and Observer. Follow her on Twitter at @gabihartlaub.
