The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
Long Beach State officially introduced Minyon Moore as the ninth head coach in women’s basketball program history on Thursday morning, welcoming one of the rising names in women’s college basketball to a program hoping to recapture its winning identity.
The smiles, applause and praise from staff and Long Beach State supporters inside the Anna W. Nagai Alumni Center made one thing clear: the university is excited about its newest leader.
Now comes the hard part.
“Obviously the goal right now is to build a roster and build a staff that’s strong for next season,” Moore said after her introductory press conference.
While Moore’s resume and energy will energize the program as it prepares for the future, the roster rebuild has already begun in an era where college basketball changes overnight through the transfer portal. The Beach currently has two returners on the preliminary roster – which means there’s work to be done after Amy Wright left the program in April.
Still, Bobby Smitheran, Long Beach State executive director of athletics, made it clear this was a hire about much more than just filling an opening.
“We wanted a coach with vision, a coach with energy, a coach with a clear offensive and defensive philosophy,” Smitheran said. “A coach who can recruit, develop, inspire and connect. We found all those qualities in Minyon Moore.”
Moore arrives in Long Beach after helping orchestrate one of the biggest turnarounds in the country at TCU under head coach Mark Campbell. The Horned Frogs went from winning one Big 12 game before their arrival to back-to-back 31-win seasons and consecutive Elite Eight appearances.
Before TCU, Moore and Campbell engineered another rapid rebuild at Sacramento State, who will be joining the Big West for the upcoming season, turning a three-win program into a 25-win Big Sky contender within two seasons.
Smitheran called Moore “one of the bright rising stars in women’s college basketball,” pointing to her defensive background, player development success and championship experience as reasons she separated herself during the search process.
But Moore’s message Thursday focused less on accomplishments and more on relationships.
“My entire life, all I’ve ever needed was someone to see something in me and believe in me,” Moore said. “So Bobby, I want to sincerely thank you for believing in me and trusting me with the opportunity to lead this program back to championship success.”
Long Beach State president Dr. Loren J. Blanchard echoed that sentiment, emphasizing Moore’s leadership style as much as her basketball success.
“What matters most to me as president of this university is not only that she has won, but how she has led,” Blanchard said. “Coach Moore is a relationship builder. She believes in development. She believes in accountability.”
The former USC and Oregon standout made it clear she already has a blueprint for what she wants the program to look like.
“Our defense will fuel everything we do,” Moore said during her speech. “We will be relentless.”
Later, when asked what fans should expect from a “Coach Moore team,” she didn’t hesitate.
“Grit, hunger, passion, fight,” Moore said. “Unselfish basketball is something that I’m big on.”
Moore said she has already been working tirelessly to piece together next year’s team and has already received verbal commitments and emphasized recruiting California talent as a major priority moving forward.
“My No. 1 goal is to keep these California kids home,” Moore said when asked about recruiting local talent. “There’s so much talent here in California, whether that’s Northern or Southern California.”
That local connection matters for a program trying to reestablish itself in a crowded Southern California basketball landscape. Moore also stressed community involvement and building relationships with fans, alumni and supporters and acknowledged that the first season will require patience and adjustments.
“I think the first year will be a lot of adjustments,” she said. “Finding a style of play that works with our team and then building on that identity.”
What that identity ultimately becomes remains to be seen, for now she will spend time building the roster and getting situated in Long Beach with her boyfriend and son, “The Elijahs.”
