Deandra Schirmer became the eighth head coach of the Mocs, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Mark Wharton announced Thursday, April 4.
Start Date: April 4, 2024
Head Coaching Record
2024-25 (Chattanooga): 17-15 Overall | 9-5 Southern Conference
2023-24 (Valdosta State): 30-3 Overall | 23-1 Gulf South Conference
2022-23 (Valdosta State): 22-7 Overall | 20-4 Gulf South Conference
2021-22 (Valdosta State): 26-6 Overall | 17-2 Gulf South Conference
2020-21 (Valdosta State): 18-4 Overall | 16-2 Gulf South Conference
2019-20 (Valdosta State): 18-11 Overall | 10-10 Gulf South Conference
Total (6 seasons): 131-46 Overall | 95-24 in Conference
All-Time Coaching Positions
- Chattanooga, Head Coach, 2024-Present
- Valdosta State, Head Coach, 2019-24
- Eckerd College (FL), Associate Head Coach, 2018-19
- Eckerd College (FL), Assistant Coach, 2014-18
- Georgia State, Graduate Assistant, 2013-14
All-Time Coaching Highlights
- 4 consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021)
- 1x NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance (2022)
- 2x Gulf South Conference regular season champion (2024, 2021)
- 1x Gulf South Conference Tournament champion (2024)
- 2x Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year (2024, 2021)
- 3 WBCA NCAA Division II All-Americans
- 1 D2CCA South Region Player of the Year
- 3 D2CCA First Team All-South Region honorees
- 2 GSC Players of the Year
- 2 SoCon All-Conference selections
- 1 SoCon All-Freshman Team selection
- 10 GSC All-Conference selections
- 3 SoCon All-Tournament Team selections
- 3 CSC Academic All-District honorees
- Third-fastest coach in Valdosta State history to reach 100 wins (130 games)
- VSU program record for wins in a season (30)
- VSU program record for single-season win percentage (.909)
- VSU program record for consecutive wins (27)
- VSU program record for GSC wins in a single season (23)
- VSU program record for consecutive GSC wins (23)
Year-By-Year Coaching Highlights
2024-25 (Chattanooga):
- Finished the year 17-15 (9-5 SoCon)
- Second place finish in the SoCon regular season standings
- Led the Mocs to the SoCon Tournament title game
- Schirmer became just the third head coach in program history to lead the Mocs to a top-two seed in the SoCon Tournament in their first season with the program.
- Also the third head coach in program history to lead UTC to the SoCon Tournament title game in their first season with the team.
- Mocs ended up advancing their way to the Second Round of the 2025 WNIT.
- Schirmer is one of only three coaches in program history to win a postseason tournament game (excluding SoCon Tournament) with the Mocs.
- She is the only coach in program history to win a postseason tournament game in their first season with the team.
- First Team All-SoCon: Caia Elisaldez
- SoCon All-Defensive Team: Sigrun Olafsdottir
- SoCon All-Freshman Team: Gianna Corbitt
- SoCon All-Tournament Team: Caia Elisaldez, Gianna Corbitt, Karsen Murphy
- CSC Academic All-District: Brooke Anya, Sigrun Olafsdottir, Frode Flos van der Schans
2023-24 (Valdosta State):
- Ended the season 30-3 overall (23-1 GSC)
- GSC regular season champions
- GSC Tournament champions
- Earned No. 1 seed of the South Region
- Reached NCAA South Region Semifinals
- Tied program-best record in a single season (30-3)
- Set new program record for consecutive wins (27)
- Above win streak marks the third-longest win streak in GSC history
- Program-best 23-1 record in Gulf South Conference play
- 23-game league winning streak marks second-longest in GSC history
- GSC Coach of the Year: Deandra Schirmer
- WBCA NCAA Division II All-American: Kalifa Ford
- D2CCA South Region Player of the Year: Kalifa Ford
- GSC Player of the Year: Kalifa Ford
- First Team All-GSC: Kalifa Ford
- Second Team All-GSC: Taylor Searcey, Aleisha Curry
2022-23 (Valdosta State):
- End the season 22-7 overall (20-4 GSC)
- At-large bid in the NCAA South Region
- Earned No. 6 seed of the South Region
- Recorded a then-program-best record of 20-4 in Gulf South Conference play
- 20 GSC wins tied for the third-most all-time in GSC history
- Second Team All-GSC: Taylor Searcey
2021-22 (Valdosta State):
- End the season 26-6 overall (17-2 GSC)
- Reached NCAA Elite Eight Quarterfinals
- Earned No. 7 seed of the South Region
- Ties the deepest postseason run in VSU history
- WBCA NCAA Division II All-American: Kwajelin Farrar
- D2CCA First Team All-South Region: Kwajelin Farrar
- First Team All-GSC: Kwajelin Farrar, Nicole Heyn
2020-21 (Valdosta State):
- End the season 18-4 overall (16-2 GSC)
- GSC regular season champions
- Reached NCAA South Region Semifinals
- Earned No. 3 seed of the South Region
- GSC Coach of the Year: Deandra Schirmer
- WBCA NCAA Division II All-American: Kwajelin Farrar
- D2CCA First Team All-South Region: Kwajelin Farrar
- GSC Player of the Year: Kwajelin Farrar
- First Team All-GSC: Kawjelin Farrar, Kayla Bonilla
- Second Team All-GSC: Jirah Ards
2019-20 (Valdosta State):
- End the season 18-11 overall (10-10 GSC)
- Finished eighth place in the GSC league standings
- Second Team All-GSC: Kayla Bonilla
Playing Career
- USC Aiken, 2009-11
- Cloud County Community College (KS), 2007-09
Playing Career Highlights
USC Aiken (2009-11):
- 2011 Peach Belt Conference co-regular season champions
- Ended her time with the Pacers with a record of 42-19 including a 26-10 record in the Peach Belt Conference
- Was a member of the 2010-11 squad that set a new program record for total wins in a season (27)
- One of those wins came in the opening round of the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament, giving USC Aiken its first ever NCAA Tournament win in program history
- Appeared in all 61 of USCA’s game while she was there, including making 58 total starts for the Pacers
- Notched 371 points (6.1 points/game), 360 rebounds (5.9 rebounds/game), 98 assists (1.6 assists/game), 67 steals (1.1 steals/game) and 23 blocks (0.4 blocks/game) over her two years with the program
- Had a two-year field goal percentage of 46.6 percent at USC Aiken (131-for-281)
- Peach Belt Academic All-Conference honoree
- CoSIDA Academic All-District selection
Cloud County CC (2007-09):
- Kansas Jayhawk Western Division Conference Second Team selection
- NJCAA All-Region VI honoree
- Helped lead the T-Birds to a 51-14 record in her two seasons with the team
- Played in a total of 53 games
- Tallied a total of 432 points (8.2 points/game), 400 rebounds (7.6 rebounds/game), 120 assists (2.3 assists/game), and 80 steals (1.5 steals/game) over her two years at Cloud County
- Shot the ball at a 42 percent clip (149-for-355) from the floor in that frame
Education
Alma Mater: USC Aiken ’11
Bachelors: Business Marketing (USCA)
Masters: Sports Administration (Georgia State)
Personal
Hometown: Holton, Kan.
