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Bilderback Brings Winning Blueprint to ULM Women’s Basketball

Bilderback Brings Winning Blueprint to ULM Women’s Basketball

Women's Basketball Apr 06
By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

New ULM women's basketball coach Missy Bilderback isn't one to back down from a challenge.

Eight years ago, Jones College took a chance on hiring the successful high school basketball coach from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Bilderback stacked up wins and championships over 16 years at Presbyterian Christian School. She backed her impressive record of 482-117 with six MAIS state championships and two MAIS overall state crowns in 2008 and 2014. Her team was runner-up in the overall state tournament in 2013 and 2015 and she guided PCS to 14 consecutive seasons of 20-plus victories.

Prior to Bilderback's arrival at Jones in 2015, the Bobcats had never advanced to the national tournament. But the program's fortunes changed quickly with her winning touch.

Under Bilderback, Jones won seven consecutive NJCAA Region 23 Tournaments, six of the last seven conference titles and represented Mississippi in the NJCAA Tournament in Lubbock, Texas, seven-straight years. Her win-loss record is an amazing 198-33 (.857) overall in eight seasons, including a 100-11 conference record.

When ULM Athletics Director John Hartwell set out to find the next head coach of the Warhawks, he identified Bilderback as someone with the tools to complete the same kind of turnaround in Monroe.

"I feel confident we've hired the right person to, pardon the pun, build her back," Hartwell said at the introductory press conference on March 30.

As she spoke to ULM supporters for the first time, the successful junior college mentor embraced the challenges of rebuilding a Division I program that has struggled for more than a decade. The Warhawks haven't posted a winning season since finishing 17-15 overall, 9-8 in the Sun Belt in 2010-11.

 "The Sun Belt Conference is a great conference," Bilderback said. "It's a challenging conference. I do know that. We've sent a lot of players to the Sun Belt Conference over the years. I've watched a lot of games.

"But I can tell you that gone are the days that we're the bottom of the Sun Belt. That's gone, Over. Done. I know that's a big statement but this thing can be flipped quick."

ULM assistant football coach John Carr is a believer after seeing her in action at Jones, where both were employed together for two years.

"She's got a great personality and connects with kids," Carr said. "When you're at a junior college, you go to the lunch rooms together and you've got guys in classes together. You see her walk the halls checking on kids making sure they go to class. She's got an infectious personality and was great to work with."

Hartwell said in the 18 hours after ULM announced the hire, he started receiving positive feedback from fellow athletic directors and women's basketball coaches.

"It's been an 'oh shoot' moment for the rest of the Sun Belt Conference to say, 'Man, Monroe is about to flip this thing really quickly," Hartwell said. "I think that is a statement about the program builder that Missy is."

"This is a tremendous opportunity," Bilderback said. "I know that and I see that. I'm smart; I know there have been some challenges in the past. I'm not scared of that. I'm excited about it. I can't wait to get to work."

Bilderback knows it takes talent to win and accumulating players is another of her strengths. The seven-time NJCAA Region 23 Coach of the Year sent 43 players to four-year programs, including current ULM point guard Olivia "Little Bit" Knight.

"I know that the blueprint that we have from a recruiting model and building a day-to-day culture I believe in it and I'm passionate about it," she said. "I'll work tirelessly to make sure you have a program here you can be proud of."

ULM football's offensive coordinator Matt Kubik thought of Bilderback as a potential candidate immediately when the Warhawks began searching for a new coach. In 2021, Kubik served as offensive coordinator at Columbia (Miss.) High School, where Bilderback's husband Chip was head coach of a state championship team.

"She has that 'more with less' mentality," Kubik said. "From what I understand after talking to a bunch of people, man, I think it's a really, really good fit for ULM. I'm just happy that we were able to say, 'What about Missy?' to Mr. Hartwell and he saw the same things John and I saw in her for sure."

As for style of play, Bilderback promised an exciting brand of basketball.

"We like to get up and go," she said. "We like to run the floor and we love the transition game. We love to defend at a high level. So, we're going to play a fun style of basketball you guys will enjoy and will want to come watch and support."

Bilderback's teams are even intriguing to watch while practicing, according to Carr.

"We'd heard stories," Carr said. "If you really want to be entertained, go watch her practice.  I remember several of us said, 'Let's go watch the girls practice.'

"We walked in and sat down and she didn't even know we were in there. Just watching her coach her girls and how hard she coached them and their response to that hard coaching, and the way they played up and down the court, we all came away really impressed. Numerous times when we had time, we'd go in and watch her girls practice. It spoke volumes to us about her style. I was sold on Missy Bilderback from that day."
 
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