New Head Women’s Basketball Coach announced for SEMO

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Southeast Missouri State University hired a new head women’s basketball coach.

Briley Palmer is the ninth head coach in SEMO women’s basketball history. Palmer agreed to a five-year contract which will run through April 30, 2029.

“We are thrilled to welcome Briley and her family to SEMO,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brady Barke. “Having spent the majority of her life in Southeast Missouri, Briley understands how special basketball is to this region. Her energy and passion for using the game of basketball to develop young women is outstanding. She’s a winner and I know she will lead our program to new heights.”

Palmer is a native of Farmington, Missouri. She begins her first NCAA Division I job after spending four years as head coach at Mineral Area College which is less than two hours away from Cape Girardeau.

At Mineral Area College, she compiled an overall record of 77-40. That included a 25-5 mark and second-place finish in the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) in 2023-24.

The Lady Cards ended the season ranked 24th. They spent 10 weeks in the NJCAA Top-25 Poll and had a 14-0 home record. Their 25 victories tied a school record for most in a season. Palmer coached 28 players who went on to play Division I basketball during her time at MAC.

“I am completely humbled to be the women’s basketball coach at Southeast Missouri, and I would like to thank Dr. [Carlos] Vargas and Brady Barke for this great opportunity,” said Palmer. “I am thrilled to be in this community, and I truly believe I’m here because you win with people first and that if you win in the community, you will win on the court and in the classroom.”

Palmer was an assistant at MAC for eight years before she was named head coach. She helped the Lady Cards win the Region 16 title twice.

Palmer helped MAC claim its first-ever Region 16 Championship during the 2014-15 season.

The Lady Cards ranked as high as #13 in the NJCAA Poll her first year as an assistant coach.

Palmer played at both MAC and Christian Brothers University. She finished a two-year stint with the Lady Cards ranked third in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage. After her final two seasons of college basketball at CBU, she was a graduate assistant there for one year.

Palmer graduated from Farmington High School in 2007. She led Farmington to its first district championship which included 24-straight wins and a final four appearance in the state tournament as a senior. She also earned All-Region, All-District and All-Conference honors her final prep season.

She and her husband, Jimmy, have two daughters, Dayton, and Nola. Jimmy is the Athletic Director at North County High School.

“The Palmer Family will be the biggest fans for everything SEMO,” said Palmer. “My staff and I are ready to move into the new age of SEMO Women’s Basketball. Let’s Soar!”

The community is invited to attend a press conference on Thursday, May 16 at 11 a.m. at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau where Palmer will be formally introduced.

Briley Palmer

Hometown

• Farmington, Mo.

Educational Background

• High School: Farmington
• College: Christian Brothers University (Memphis, Tenn.), 2011
  • Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication
• Central Methodist University (Fayette, Mo.), 2016
  • Master of Arts in Education

Playing Experience

• Mineral Area College (2007-09)
• Christian Brothers University (2009-11)

Coaching Experience

• 2011-12 Assistant Coach/Graduate Assistant, Christian Brothers University
• 2012-20 Assistant Coach, Mineral Area College
• 2020-24 Head Coach, Mineral Area College

Year-by-Year Records Overall MCCAC

• 2020-21 9-13 7-8
• 2021-22 21-11 9-6
• 2022-23 22-11 8-4
• 2023-24 25-5 6-3 (2nd)
• Total 77-40 30-21
• Winning Percentage .658 .588

“Southeast Missouri is getting a rising star in Briley Palmer. Her passion, work ethic and ability to build relationships will pay dividends right away. She understands what it takes to build a winning program as she has done that at Mineral Area College. Her energy is infectious, and she will no doubt make an immediate impact on the program and in the community. Her teams compete with energy, passion, and attention to detail in a relentless pursuit of winning championships,” said Shauna Green, University of Illinois Head Women’s Basketball Coach.

“Briley Palmer is a home run hire for SEMO! She is a relentless worker, an incredible leader of young women and a tremendous coach. The Southeast Missouri community will absolutely love Coach Palmer, her contagious energy and the passion she has for basketball and developing student-athletes,” said Hana Haden, Georgia Southern Head Women’s Basketball Coach.

“Coach Palmer has clearly been a successful coach on the sidelines for many years. What has impressed me is her desire to get better every day. She is a constant student of the game and pours passion into her program. She has always considered her players family and that will be a great foundation for a bright future,” said Molly Miller, Grand Canyon University Head Women’s Basketball Coach.