BATON ROUGE, La. – Nikki Fargas, the second-winningest coach in LSU women’s basketball history, has stepped down as head coach of the Tigers to pursue another opportunity, the school announced on Saturday.
In 10 years as head coach of the Tigers, Fargas guided LSU to five 20-win seasons and six NCAA Tournament appearances. LSU would have made a seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019-20 had the season not been cut short due to COVID-19.
Fargas’ career mark at LSU stands at 177-129, ranking her behind only Hall of Fame coach Sue Gunter for most victories in school history. In 10 years, Fargas’ teams posted 30 wins over Top 25 opponents and made a pair of NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.
“I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve as LSU’s women’s basketball coach,” Fargas said. “It was a tremendous honor to represent LSU and the wonderful people on this campus and community. I can’t express how thankful I am to have coached the wonderful young women in our program, student-athletes who were dedicated and committed to having success on the court and in the classroom.
“I had a great staff, wonderful people that always put our players first and made tremendous sacrifices to better our program. We always had the support of the athletic administration. They gave us everything that we needed to be successful. LSU is a great place and I leave with many wonderful memories. I will forever be a LSU Tiger.”
Fargas’ players did more than just excel on the court as her team also thrived in the classroom. Under Fargas, every Tiger that spent their entire career at LSU went on to earn their college degree. Also, LSU recorded a 100 percent in the NCAA Graduation Success Rate three times under Fargas and placed 33 players on the SEC Women’s Basketball Academic Honor Roll.
“I can’t thank Nikki enough for the job she has done at LSU, not only as our head women’s basketball coach, but also as a mentor to the young women on her team and many other student-athletes on our campus,” said Director of Athletics Scott Woodward.
“She’s a shining example of doing things the right way and she’s helped mold and inspire her team to understand the value of an education, community involvement and using their platform to make a difference. Nikki’s legacy at LSU will go far beyond the basketball court. I wish her, her husband Justin and their daughter Justice nothing but continued success in their next endeavor.”
