Texas State parted ways with the winningest coach in program history. Zenarae Antoine stepped away from the program after 15 seasons and 5 postseason appearances. But after an 11-17 record, their worst winning percentage since 2001, Antoine decided her time at the program was up. Now, Chris Kielsmeier has stepped into her shoes after an impressive record at Cleveland State. 

“Our focus remains on positioning our programs to compete at the highest level within the conference and nationally, and we are committed to investing the resources necessary to achieve our goals,” the program said when Antoine left. Last year, they announced that the women’s basketball team is entering the Pac-12 after 13 years in the Sun Belt conference. Heading into this new era, they are entrusting Kielsmeier to get them success. 

“Chris Kielsmeier is a proven winner and one of the most respected coaches in women’s basketball,” Texas State University Director of Athletics Don Coryell said. “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.”

In his 8-year Vikings tenure, Kielsmeier led them to six postseason appearances. That includes a trip to the big dance back in the 2022-23 season during a  record-setting 30-win campaign, the program’s first Horizon League regular season title in 2024 and CSU’s first postseason tournament championship (2021 WBI). 

In this past season, CSU finished with a 26-10 record (13-7 Horizon League) and an appearance in the WNIT Great 8. It was Kielsmeier’s fifth consecutive 20-win season and sixth overall with CSU. They were a top 100 scoring offense and a top 75 defense, while Texas State was not even top 200. He also has 10 years of experience coaching Division 2 basketball at Wayne State College and 10 seasons in D3 with Howard Payne. 

“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,” said Kielsmeier. 

In its expanded athletics budget and plan, there is a clear goal for Texas State for women’s basketball. To “qualify for the NCAA Tournament in at least seven of the next 10 years (combined) and advance to the Round of 32 or beyond at least three times (combined).” They will face stiff competition from the likes of Gonzaga and Oregon State in the new Pac-12.

“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,” he further said. “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.” However, to further Kielsmeier’s case as an elite head coach, Iowa State boss Bill Fennelly has sent his approval to the Texas State program. 

Bill Fennelly Approves Chris Kielsmeier’s Hire As Texas State Starts Rebuild

Bill Fennelly was Chris Kielsmeier’s first mentor. An Iowa-based Kielsmeier was getting his bachelor of science in sports management at Iowa State in 1999 when he got an opportunity to intern for the women’s basketball team. Bill Fennelly was just in his 4th year and the program was entering national relevance. 

Kielsmeier built upon that experience and has now become the head coach of a top D1 school today. Naturally, Fennelly sent his wishes to his former mentee and assured Texas State that they made the right hire. “This is an exciting time for Texas State Athletics and their fans as they move into the Pac-12. Chris is a great coach to lead them into this new challenge,” Fennelly said in a statement. “He is a proven winner at every place he has been and he will bring that passion and work ethic to Texas State WBB!”

With a new vision, Texas State will very likely rebuild their vision to make March Madness. The only confirmed retainees are sophomore Saniyah Burks, who averaged 14.4 points and Kyra Anderson, who contributed 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. At Cleveland State, his philosophy was to share the ball in a defense-oriented setup. They played at a slow pace with an adjusted tempo of 68.2. We can expect a similar style at Texas State and he will get to work with his recruiting and transfer portal right away.