Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Rogers off and running as ASU women’s coach
JONESBORO — Destinee Rogers doesn’t lack confidence.
It was evident by her choice of outfit for Monday morning’s news conference: A bright red pantsuit over a white t-shirt with an Arkansas State University pin on her left lapel.
It was equally clear in late January when Rogers told reporters she knew she was “the right person for this job,” even with her interim tag only running through mid-April.
Her players, though, bore witness to Rogers’ conviction first.
“When I grew closer to Coach Dez, I noticed just how intelligent she was and how boss lady she was,” freshman guard Jade Upshaw said. “She stepped in very well and I just knew she would be a great head coach for us.”
ASU formalized things Monday morning, announcing Rogers as its eighth head women’s basketball coach at a news conference inside First National Bank Arena’s auditorium. Rogers, who becomes the first Black female coach in Red Wolves history and one of only two female coaches currently at ASU, signed a three-year contract that will pay the 31-year- old Strong native $185,000 next season and elevate to $190,000 and $200,000 over the following two seasons.
Speaking on stage with Red Wolves Athletic Director Tom Bowen and Chancellor Kelly Damphousse, Rogers stressed the value of being a woman leading other young women — something she’s done since finishing her playing career at the University of Central Arkansas in 2012.
“Women are powerful, and we are capable of doing anything that a man can do. I’ve always believed that and it’s shown with the success of other women coaches around the country,” Rogers said. “It speaks a lot to our administrators for seeing a young Black woman and seeing enough in me to say, ‘Hey, she can take over the reins of this program and she can get us to where we’re looking to go.’
“I didn’t take over this job or accept this job just to be average. I don’t do anything to be average. We want to be excellent at what we do.”
There was no specific moment that solidified Bowen’s decision to remove the interim tag — which Rogers received in December when Matt Daniel suddenly resigned.
Between a win at eventual Sun Belt Conference Tournament champion Texas-Arlington in the regular-season finale and ASU’s loss to Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Tournament opener, Bowen saw an extremely shorthanded group of Red Wolves take on the personality of their head coach.
“I was just always impressed that they never quit fighting,” said Bowen, who added that he spoke with about a dozen candidates and formally interviewed four or five. “I watched the way she handled [playing with seven players] and I watched the way she talked to them when
I went into the locker room. I just was very impressed by how she handled a very, very hard moment. … I said, ‘ There’s something about this I really like and I want to know more.’ ”
Bowen also mentioned the notion of “fit and family,” and in Rogers, ASU has a native Arkansan with basketball roots spread across the state.
Not only has Rogers previously served as an assistant at her alma mater UCA, but she spent three seasons as head coach at El Dorado High School before joining the Red Wolves in 2019 as an assistant under Daniel.
That’s not to mention her father, Ronald, who has been coaching for 18 years and at the helm of the Little Rock Christian girls’ basketball program since 2014.
“That is the one person I will always look to,” Rogers said of her father. “He’s always giving me sound advice as it pertains to coaching as well as being a good human being.”
Rogers has several tasks she’ll be attacking in the coming days and weeks.
ASU needs to hire a third assistant coach to fill the role previously held by Rogers and join returning assistants Lizzie Nessling and Connor McNelis.
The Red Wolves will also need to supplement a roster that is currently at just seven players — starters Jireh Washington and Trinitee Jackson along with Jonesboro native Mya Love all recently entered the transfer portal.
It’s all part of the work Rogers has relished the last four months. She’s excited for a whole lot more of it.
“I just want to continue being me,” Rogers said. “I just feel really good about where we’re at and I know that my players as well as my staff [are] willing to go to great lengths to get this program to where we know it should be. And we won’t stop until we get there.”