Destinee Rogers
Head Coach
Destinee Rogers was named the eighth all-time head coach of the Arkansas State women's basketball program on March 13, 2022, after completing the 2021-22 season - her third on staff - as the team's interim head coach.
In her first game as the team’s interim head coach on Dec. 14, Rogers made history as the first African-American female head coach to win a game in school history, defeating Mississippi Valley State 81-47. She now makes more history, becoming the first African-American woman head coach in A-State Athletics history.
Under her watch, A-State won six of her first seven games at the helm, including a 3-1 start to Sun Belt Conference play before losing leading scorer Keya Patton to a season-ending injury. Despite having one of their most dynamic players sidelined with an injury, the Red Wolves remained competitive down the stretch of the regular season as they dropped only one contest by more than double digits before closing with an 82-75 road victory at eventual Sun Belt Conference tournament champion UT Arlington.
Rogers guided guard Lauryn Pendleton to Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year laurels – just the second player to earn the honor in program history and the first since 1997.
The Strong, Ark., native joined the A-State women’s basketball program in 2019 as an assistant coach before being elevated to associate head coach in 2020. Rogers also owns experience as a head coach at the high school level in the state of Arkansas, serving as the girls’ head coach at El Dorado High School from 2016-19. During those three seasons, she guided the Wildcats to a 52-28 record, including a 21-8 mark in her first season with a state semifinal finish.
Rogers’ first full-time coaching assignment came at her alma mater of Central Arkansas, where she also was a three-year starter at point guard for the Sugar Bears. She helped UCA to a 78-45 ledger in her time as an assistant coach, including 45-18 in the final two seasons. She helped recruit and develop two Southland Conference Players of the Year, a Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and eight all-league players.
Following her playing career at UCA, Rogers spent four seasons on the bench for the Sugar Bears with one season as a graduate assistant (2012-13) and three more as an assistant coach (2013-16). In the 2015-16 season, Rogers helped guide the Sugar Bears to their first NCAA Tournament and a program record 28 wins, regular-season record 26 victories and Southland Conference program record win total of 16.
A three-year starter at UCA, Rogers finished her playing career averaging 7.4 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game with more than 100 3-point field goals to her credit. She helped UCA to the 2012 Southland Conference Championship and was the floor general when the program made its first Division I postseason appearances, hosting UAB in the 2011 WBI and traveling to Oklahoma State in the 2012 WNIT.
Rogers earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences in 2012 and a Master of Science in Health Sciences in 2014.