Veteran Rennie Bailey has been named the head coach of the Centenary women’s basketball program, Director of Athletics and Recreation David Orr announced.

Bailey, a native of Minden, La., comes to Centenary from Southern University in Baton Rouge, where he served as an assistant on the men’s staff for the last two seasons and helped the Jaguars win the 2025 SWAC Regular Season Championship. The former Louisiana Tech standout has over 30 years of experience at the college and high school level. He replaces former head coach Paul Reed, who guided the Ladies the last three seasons.

“I am grateful to President Dr. Holoman and Athletic Director David Orr for this opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program to new heights,” said Bailey.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead this program into a level of success that is expected. I can’t wait to get the Ladies on campus so we can get started on the quest to success.”

“Coach Bailey’s experience, connections and professional character set him apart,” said Orr. I am extremely excited to welcome coach Bailey to the Centenary Athletics as the next Head Coach for Women’s Basketball. Coach Bailey has displayed his excitement to lead the Centenary Ladies Basketball program and I am excited that he is here!”

Bailey starred at Louisiana Tech from 1979-84 alongside his teammate and NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone, and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1984 draft by the Detroit Pistons. In Bailey’s senior season (1983-84), he and Malone helped the Bulldogs to a Southland Conference Tournament championship, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Bailey received his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Tech in 1987.

Bailey’s coaching career came in 1988 at Nicholls State University where he was a member of Gordon Stauffer’s staff until 1990 as Bailey helped with the signing and development of Colonel standout, and eventual NBA player Gerard King.

In 1990, he returned to Ruston for the first of his two stints as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech.  From 1990-1993, Bailey helped lead the Bulldogs to a pair of conference championships, an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992, and an NIT appearance in 1991. In his first stop in Ruston, Bailey played a major role in the recruitment and development of Bulldog standout and eventual 15-year NBA veteran P.J. Brown.

From 1993 through 2000, Bailey served as head coach at Panola College in Carthage, Texas. In what was regarded as one of the toughest junior college leagues at the time, Bailey rebuilt Panola, led the program to Texas Eastern Conference Tournaments in each of his final three seasons and sent seven players from Panola to four-year institutions.

From 2000-2004, Bailey was an assistant on Danny Kaspar’s staff at Stephen F. Austin, where he helped rebuild the Lumberjacks into one of the more dominant programs in the Southland Conference.  The Lumberjacks went from a combined 22-32 record during his first two seasons to a combined 42-17 record in their third and fourth years. SFA finished second in the Southland Conference and participated in the conference tournament finals finishing second in 2002-03 as the Lumberjacks claimed a fourth-place finish in 2003-04 and advanced to the conference tournament finals, earning a runner up finish.

After helping rebuild the Lumberjacks, Bailey returned to Louisiana as a member of the UL-Lafayette coaching staff from 2004-2007.  In 2004-05, Bailey helped the Ragin’ Cajuns to a Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship, and a berth in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Bailey returned to La Tech for his second full-time stint from 2007-08 before serving as a volunteer coach at Cedar Creek High School in Ruston.

https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/releases/20250813jbso0u

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