Linda Hargrove begins second stint Friday as Wichita State women’s coach

After four days with her basketball team, Linda Hargrove coaches the Wichita State women on Friday night at Indiana State.

Hargrove, who headed the Shocker program from 1989-98, takes over for the rest of the season after Jody Adams-Birch was relieved of her duties last week following an investigation by athletic director Darron Boatright. Boatright has not commented on the substance of the investigation, but sources told The Eagle it involved the transfer of sophomore Ellie Lehne from the program.

Boatright asked Hargrove, 66, last weekend to head the program for the rest of the season. Hargrove had her first practice with the team Monday.

“As a coach, I like to come in and put in a lot of my stuff and a lot of the things I can feel comfortable and confident coaching,” Hargrove said this week, “but as somebody who wants the best for these young women, that’s not the thing to do.”

The Shockers (8-10, 3-4) are tied for fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference after winning three straight games. Adams-Birch coached the win at Evansville, then assistant Kirk Crawford coached last weekend’s wins over Bradley and Illinois State.

It’s the program’s longest winning streak since the 2014-15 team won 12 straight before losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to California.

This story was originally published January 26, 2017 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Linda Hargrove begins second stint Friday as Wichita State women’s coach."