Legendary Head Coach Joe Foley to Step Down; Assistant Steve Wiedower Named New Head Coach of Little Rock Women’s Basketball
After 37 seasons and nearly 900 career wins, six regular season conference championships, five conference tournament titles and 12 postseason (NCAA and WNIT) appearances, Little Rock Women鈥檚 Basketball coach Joe Foley is calling it a career, officially announcing his retirement on Thursday.
Foley 鈥� the winningest collegiate basketball coach in the state of Arkansas 鈥� steps away from a program that he transformed into a perennial national contender with a career record of 866-324. Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma is the only active NCAA Division I women鈥檚 basketball coach with more victories. Foley鈥檚 win total ranks 11th all-time in NCAA women鈥檚 history.
鈥淚 always wanted the opportunity to coach and teach, not just basketball, but also the game of life. My family has always believed in me, pushed me to keep working, and supported each team through all of the years,鈥� Foley said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud of the accomplishments and success our program has experienced over my 21-year tenure, but without a doubt, I am most proud of the impact we鈥檝e made on the lives of hundreds of young women. Being their head coach is one of the greatest honors in my life.鈥�
Trojan Director of Athletics Frank M. Cuervo expressed gratitude for the contributions Foley has made to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, both on and off the court.
鈥淐oach Joe Foley is a legend in basketball and will always be fondly remembered by Trojan fans,鈥� said Cuervo. 鈥淗is contributions to the institution and its athletics program are too numerous to count. Coach Foley’s teams always played with grit and determination, truly exhibiting the heart of a Trojan. Likewise, he made an incredible impact on the lives of hundreds of young women who played for him and are now valued members of their community. I look forward to working with Joe to find an opportunity to keep him close to the program as he and his wife Chris enter the next phase of their lives. I wish them nothing but the happiness and success they have earned.”
Foley鈥檚 Little Rock teams won SBC regular season championships in 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017, and 2018, and captured SBC tournament titles in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2019. The Trojans qualified for the NCAA Women鈥檚 Basketball Tournament in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2019. Little Rock defeated 6-seed Georgia Tech in 2010, and 6-seed Texas A&M in 2015 to advance to the NCAA Tournament鈥檚 second round. The win over Texas A&M was Foley鈥檚 700th career victory. In addition, under Foley鈥檚 leadership, the Trojans accepted bids to the WNIT in 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2023. He recorded career win No. 800 during the 2019-20 season. Little Rock also won the OVC regular season title in 2023, the Trojans鈥� first year of competition in the league.
鈥淐oach Foley’s leadership, integrity, and passion for the sport have inspired countless student-athletes and elevated our basketball team to new heights,鈥� 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Chancellor Christina S. Drale said. 鈥淗is unwavering commitment to academic excellence has been just as important as his athletic achievements, ensuring that our players succeed both on and off the court. We are profoundly grateful for his contributions and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.鈥�
A member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, Foley is a five-time SBC Coach of the Year and was named OVC Coach of the Year in 2023. At Little Rock, he coached four conference players of the year, two conference defensive players of the year, four freshmen of the year, and a total of 41 All-Conference selections. In 2022, the court at the Jack Stephens Center was named in his honor.
Prior to coaching at Little Rock, Foley led the Arkansas Tech women鈥檚 basketball program to consecutive NAIA national championships in 1992 and 1993. After reclassifying to NCAA competition, Foley鈥檚 team took home Division II national runner-up honors in 1999. The Golden Suns posted six 30-win seasons and 16 straight campaigns of 20 or more victories under Foley鈥檚 guidance. They won 14 conference titles, making six appearances in the NCAA DII tournament, advancing to the Elite Eight on two occasions.
Following a successful tenure at Arkansas Tech, Foley spent 21 seasons at Little Rock, where he won 410 games, including 231 in the Sun Belt Conference, where he is still the league鈥檚 all-time wins leader.
Ensuring the best plan forward for continued success, Foley will pass the reigns to longtime assistant Steve Wiedower, who spent 14 years as his top aide. Wiedower became an assistant at Little Rock in 2004 and spent five seasons on the bench before leading the Russellville High School girls鈥� basketball team to a state runner-up finish in 2012. He rejoined the Trojan staff in 2015 as Foley鈥檚 Associate Head Coach.
鈥淲hat a great experience it has been to work under Coach Foley for 15 years here at Little Rock. Words cannot describe the respect and gratitude I have for him,鈥� Wiedower said. 鈥淐oach Foley built this program from the ground up into one of the top mid-majors in the country. Experiencing multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and winning conference championships under his leadership is something I will cherish forever. His dedication has been instrumental in our success, and I am deeply honored to have been a part of this journey.鈥�
Wiedower鈥檚 coaching background includes a 229-111 record as the girl鈥檚 head basketball coach at Greenbrier High School, which includes five conference and district championships, as well as 5AA North Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1991 and 1992.
鈥淭he program remains in good hands with Coach Wiedower, who has been an integral part of our mission for many years and knows how to get these young women to reach their full potential,鈥� Foley said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a brilliant coach with strong leadership qualities and I have no doubt that he鈥檒l continue to guide this program to continued success.鈥�
鈥淭here is a great tradition of success in women’s basketball at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and I am thrilled that Steve Wiedower will be our next head coach. I am confident that he will lead us into a new and exciting era for Trojan Women’s Basketball,” Cuervo said. 鈥淐oach Wiedower is an incredible leader of young women and will be an outstanding ambassador for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. In addition, he is an expert basketball tactician and savvy recruiter. I look forward to working closely with him to put our program in a position to experience success in the Ohio Valley Conference and on the national stage.鈥�
Wiedower 鈥� a Greenbrier, Arkansas native 鈥� was a two-time All-State selection at Greenbrier High School as a student-athlete, earning AAU All-American honors and being named MVP of the Arkansas High School All-Star Game in 1983. He attended Oklahoma City University his first two years of college before transferring to Arkansas State, where he was named All-Southland Conference as a senior, leading the team to the NIT. He left ASU as the school鈥檚 single-season three-point leader and ranked in the Top 10 nationally in three-point percentage as a senior.
鈥淚t’s a tremendous honor to be the next head coach of the Little Rock Women’s Basketball team. I understand the significance of the foundation Coach Foley laid down and the high expectations that come with this role,鈥� Wiedower said. 鈥淢y goal is to continue to build upon the accomplishments Coach Foley has brought to this program and to develop successful student-athletes on and off the court. There are big shoes to fill, following a legend like Coach Foley, but I look forward to the opportunity.鈥�
Coach Wiedower and his wife Denise have three daughters 鈥� Brittney, Kaylee and Kenzie.
Little Rock Athletics will hold a formal press conference Tuesday, July 23 at 11 a.m. in the Legends Room at the Jack Stephens Center to welcome Wiedower as the next head coach of Little Rock Women鈥檚 Basketball. The event is open to the public and Trojan fans and alumni are encouraged to attend.