Krista Gerlich Stays the Course at Texas Tech as Major Staff Overhaul Unfolds – Lady Raider Faithful Intensify Their Support

When the first murmurs of a coaching shake‑up began circulating around Lubbock in early April, Texas Tech women’s‑basketball fans braced for bad news. What they got instead was a jolt of reassurance wrapped inside an unexpected plot twist: head coach Krista Gerlich would, in fact, remain at the helm of the Lady Raiders, even as a significant chunk of her coaching staff packed their bags.

That revelation was delivered on April 12, 2025, in a terse university release that confirmed the departures of associate coaches Ashley Odom and Plenette Pierson, along with the reassignment of support staffers Jordan Vessels (operations) and Mitch Vanya (video & scouting). In the statement, Gerlich thanked the outgoing assistants for their contributions but pivoted quickly to the future, vowing to “work tirelessly to put together a staff that will help us return Lady Raider Basketball back to prominence.”

The timing of the moves was hardly accidental. Gerlich’s 2024‑25 squad finished 19‑18, an eyelash above .500, and bowed out in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) quarterfinals against Florida—a solid step forward compared with recent years, yet still miles away from the elite standard Gerlich herself helped establish as a national‑title‑winning guard in 1993.

Inside the fan base, sentiment split into two camps: some questioned whether incremental improvement was enough in Year 5 of Gerlich’s tenure, while others argued that unmistakable progress merited patience. Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt ultimately sided with the optimists. In a late‑April interview with KCBD’s Pete Christy, Hocutt stated unequivocally that Gerlich would return for the 2025‑26 season, quieting speculation that the staff shuffle presaged a full‑scale regime change.

True to her word, Gerlich wasted little time re‑stocking the bench. By late May, she had lured former North Carolina assistant Adrian Walters to West Texas as associate head coach. Walters arrives with five straight NCAA tournament berths on his résumé and a sterling reputation as a recruiter and player‑development ace. “His passion for the game and commitment to our athletes will undoubtedly elevate our program,” Gerlich said in the announcement.

Sources close to the program indicate additional hires could follow before the July recruiting period opens. The emphasis is expected to fall on two areas that surfaced as weak spots last season: perimeter shooting—Tech ranked just 204th nationally in three‑point percentage—and late‑game execution, a metric revealed in an alarming 2‑7 record in single‑possession contests.

The Lady Raiders’ win total has climbed in three of Gerlich’s five years. Behind the record lies a deeper trend: Texas Tech posted a top‑40 defensive efficiency mark for the first time since 2013, according to Synergy data reviewed by the athletic department.

Gerlich remains a living emblem of the program’s golden age. That cachet, insiders contend, opened doors with 2025 5‑star guard Aaliyah Chavez, the Lubbock‑Cooper phenom whom Gerlich has openly courted (within NCAA rules, of course).

Perhaps most compelling is the steadfast backing she enjoys from the grassroots. On social media and at watch parties in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, supporters consistently laud her efforts and rally around the team—loyalty vividly on display in a widely shared Facebook post that declared, “Lady Raider fans in the MetroPlex are still proud of Krista Gerlich and the team.”

Anecdotally, the mood among season‑ticket holders has morphed from restless to resolute. “We can see the direction. We just need the results to catch up,” said longtime donor Marsha Orr, who has attended nearly every home game since 1995. Others echo that sentiment, pointing to Gerlich’s visible engagement with alumni and local youth programs as evidence she “gets” the community.

That support is not unconditional; message‑board chatter makes clear that another middling finish could shift the narrative in a hurry. Yet for now, the fan base is choosing to back its coach during a transitional moment rather than agitate for a new face.

Recruiting: The immediate priority is finalizing staff so the new assistants can hit the road for July’s all‑important recruiting circuit. Landing a high‑profile shooter or stretch‑forward in the 2026 class would address glaring roster gaps.

Player Development: Insiders say Walters has already begun film‑room sessions with rising junior Emma Hembry, whose raw athleticism screams “breakout candidate” but whose footwork and shot selection remain works in progress.

Non‑Conference Scheduling: Expect a bump in difficulty. To pad its résumé, Tech plans to book at least two power‑conference road tests, sources familiar with scheduling conversations confirm. One rumored opponent: SEC up‑and‑comer Arkansas, a matchup that would pit Gerlich against friend and former rival Mike Neighbors.

Culture Reset: Perhaps the toughest task is intangible—re‑calibrating a locker room rattled by sudden exits. Gerlich’s supporters believe her player‑centric approach will smooth that transition, but skeptics argue that “culture” only matters if it translates to March wins.

As summer workouts ramp up inside United Supermarkets Arena, a strange mix of uncertainty and optimism hangs in the air. Gerlich remains, a new‑look staff in tow, entrusted with translating incremental gains into a breakthrough season. Whether that bet pays off will hinge on her revamped bench’s ability to squeeze more efficiency out of a roster that showed flashes of brilliance and bouts of inconsistency.