Kim Rosamond

Kim Rosamond was named the sixth head coach of the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball program on March 31, 2016. With a reputation as an elite recruiter during her 14 seasons as an assistant in the Southeastern Conference, Rosamond came to Cookeville with the challenge of re-establishing Golden Eagle basketball into a championship contender. The long-time Vanderbilt assistant coach has left no doubt she was more than ready for the head coaching assignment.

Rosamond, over the last six years, has reinvigorated one of the most storied programs in collegiate women’s basketball, and she has established herself as one of the top head coaches in the country. The 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year and the 2019 Tennessee Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year, Rosamond has added elite “culture builder” to her impressive resume.

Fresh off Tech’s most successful season in almost a decade, Rosamond led the 2021-22 team to an impressive 21-win season, the most OVC wins (14) since 2010-11, the highest regular-season conference finish (second) since 2012-13, and the program’s first WNIT win in 16 years.

The veteran Tech team overcame multiple injuries to key players throughout the season to reach the OVC championship game for the 23rd time in program history. Anna Jones was named to the All-OVC first team while Mackenzie Coleman and Anna Walker were named to the All-OVC second team and All-OVC newcomer team. Jones and Walker were also named to the OVC All-Tournament team. During Rosamond’s tenure, Tech has had 10 All-OVC honorees and five players who scored 1,000 points in their playing careers.

While Rosamond’s first coaching seasons in the Purple and Gold focused on laying the foundation of culture and championship habits, the last four seasons have produced one of the most successful runs in over two decades as well as the results Golden Eagle fans expect from the tradition-rich program. Rosamond has led the Golden Eagles to four consecutive winning seasons for the first time in over 20 years. Her squads have also recorded double-digit OVC wins for four straight seasons for the first time since 2006-07.

In her first season at the helm, Rosamond and company shattered preseason expectations and finished in a tie for sixth in the OVC after being projected to finish 11 out of 12 teams. Year two was a season of growing pains as the 2017-18 Golden Eagle team was one of the youngest in the OVC – and the country – and struggled to find consistency.

The third year proved to be the charm as the 2018-19 campaign was a breakthrough season. Wins came early and often as the Golden Eagles defeated Middle Tennessee for the first time since 2004. Tech snapped Belmont’s 47-game OVC winning streak. By the time the season was complete, Tech finished with an overall 22-11 record with a 15 game-win improvement, which was the third-best turnaround in NCAA women’s basketball.

The fourth season produced positive results as the Golden Eagles recorded their second consecutive winning season. During the 2019-20 campaign, Tech won 11 straight games and 13 out of 15 mid-way through the season, including an 8-0 start in OVC competition. Before the season concluded, the COVID-19 pandemic started just days before the OVC Tournament. While the overtime loss to eventual OVC tournament champion Southeast Missouri was heartbreaking, the team culture Rosamond established was solidified.

The COVID pandemic delayed the start of the 2020-21 campaign until mid-December, shortening the season to primarily OVC opponents. Tech finished another winning campaign with a 15-10 overall record and a 12-8 Conference record. The Golden Eagles reached the OVC Tournament semifinal game for the second time in three seasons.

Rosamond’s teams have not only succeeded on the court, they have also succeeded off the court. The achievement in the classroom has been historic. Tennessee Tech women’s basketball recorded the highest GPA’s in the history of the program over the course of the last three years. During fall semester 2021, 15 student-athletes earned a 3.0 or higher, 11 achieved a 3.5 or higher, and six earned a 4.0 GPA.

In 2017-18, Tech won its first-ever OVC Team Sportsmanship Award. Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of the OVC, the OVC Sportsmanship Awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Tennessee Tech captured the OVC Sportsmanship Award again in 2019-20.

Rosamond served nine years as both an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for legendary Vanderbilt head coach, Melanie Balcomb. As a member of the Vanderbilt staff, the Commodores earned seven NCAA Tournament berths – including two appearances in the Sweet 16 – as well as a Southeastern Conference Tournament championship. Joining the staff in the 2007-08 year, Rosamond helped the program consistently land Top 20 nationally-rated signing classes keeping the Commodores among the top women’s basketball programs in the country.

Rosamond was part of two championship seasons and two NCAA tournament wins on Stephany Smith’s staff at Middle Tennessee from 2003-05. She also served one month as the interim head coach in 2005.

After earning her degree in journalism and advertising from Ole Miss in 1998 and playing three seasons for Olympic coach and Naismith Hall of Famer Van Chancellor, Rosamond remained at her alma mater as an assistant coach and served on Ron Aldy’s staff for five seasons.

She is credited with signing one of the top players in Ole Miss history – Armintie Price-Harrington. Price-Harrington earned All-SEC first team, 3rd Team All American as well as the 2007 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Harrington was later drafted third overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2007 WNBA Draft and was also named the 2007 WNBA Rookie of the Year.