Deb Patterson joined the Washington State women’s basketball program in September of 2019. As Director of Player Personnel and Program Analytics, Patterson brings over 30 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience to the Palouse. She reunites with the Cougars head coach, Kamie Ethridge, after serving five seasons as the Director of Operations at the University of Northern Colorado.
As Director of Operations, Patterson was a part of 104 wins at Northern Colorado and the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018. Prior to Ethridge’s hire as head coach at Northern Colorado University she served as an associate head coach under Patterson at Kansas State University from 1996-2014.
In 18 seasons as the head coach at Kansas State, Ethridge assisted Patterson in amassing 350 wins, two Big 12 Conference Championships (2004, 2008) and 13 postseason appearances. In total, the Wildcats advanced to nine NCAA Tournaments, including Kansas State’s second-ever Sweet 16 appearance in 2002. KSU earned four berths into the WNIT under Patterson, where her teams advanced to the Final Four three times and won the 2006 WNIT Championship.
Patterson was twice named the Big 12 Coach of the Year (2002, 2008). She was also the 2012 recipient of the Kay Yow Heart of a Coach Award, which is presented annually by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to honor a basketball coach who has exemplified biblical principles over the course of his or her career. In 2008, Patterson was inducted into the FCA Coaches Hall of Fame.
In total, Patterson has guided eight different players to the WNBA, coached 10 AP All-Americans, two Big 12 Player of the Year honorees and a Big Sky Tournament MVP.
Patterson graduated from Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois. She was a two-time Student-Athlete of the Year and was named a President’s Scholar at Rockford College.
