John Whisenant [Basketball '14]

John Whisenant, a native of Gore, Okla., played for the Connors State Cowboys basketball team graduating from Connors State with an Associate Degree, before earning a degree in physical education at New Mexico State University, where he played for the Aggies for two seasons. He then earned a Master’s Degree from Pittsburgh State before launching a very successful coaching career.

Whisenant began his coaching career at Coffeyville Community College where he posted a 48-10 record, then joined the coaching staff at the University of New Mexico where he accumulated a record of 137-62, including two Western Athletic Conference championships. He later served as the vice president of basketball operations for the New Mexico Slam in the International Basketball League where his record was 51-35.

He spent four seasons as head coach at Arizona Western University, where he won three league championships (97-60) and later coached his son’s AAU team, where he dominated with a record of 176-16.

While serving as a consultant for the Sacramento Kings, under the Maloof family, he became the assistant manager for the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA. Whisenant became the general manager the following year, and then took over as head coach in the middle of 2003. In 2005, he won the WNBA Coach of tthe Year Award and his Monarchs won the WNBA championship title over the Connecticut Sun. Whisenant later coached the Monarchs to its second straightWestern Conference Championship by beating the Los Angeles Sparks. However, the Monarchs lost the WNBA title to the Detroit Shock.

He became the New York Liberty’s coach in 2011 and after the 2012 season Whisenant announced that he was resigning from his coaching position. Whisenant has a WNBA coaching record of 139-102 including one championship. Whisenant is a partner in a commercial real estate firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.