SMU Athletics

Rhonda Rompola – Women's Basketball 1981-2016

Rhonda Rompola was a student-athlete, assistant coach and five-time conference champion head coach for SMU women's basketball from 1981-2016. In her lone season as a student-athlete in 1981-82, Rompola averaged 21.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. After serving as an assistant coach from 1982-91, she went on to lead the Mustangs for 25 seasons, winning three regular-season conference titles (1999-00, 2008-09, 2012-13) and two league tournaments (1998-99, 2007-08). Rompola led SMU to 13 postseasons as head coach, including seven NCAA Tournaments. The postseason accomplishments include the first NCAA win in program history (1995) and a run to the WNIT final (1993). She was a four-time league coach of the year and finished her career with more wins (439) than any other basketball head coach at SMU.



It Was Never About Me by Rhonda Rompola
"I made a lifetime of memories in those 35 years... I shut the lights off in my coach's office for the final time, knowing I did everything I could to uplift this program & positively impact the individuals that were a part of it."