Travis Mays was named the Head Women's Basketball Coach at SMU on April 7, 2016. Mays arrived on the Hilltop after 14 years as an assistant coach, where he served under three Hall of Fame coaches, and 11 years playing professionally.
In his first season, Mays led the Mustangs to the third round of the WNIT with a pair of victories in the tournament, winning multiple postseason games for the second time in program history and the first since 1993. He guided the team to a 19-13 record overall, including a 13-3 mark in Moody Coliseum, the second-most home wins in program history. SMU defeated No. 19 Texas A&M at home, and all three losses came against teams ranked or receiving votes at the time (No. 1 Connecticut, No. 22 USF and RV Tulane). The Mustangs set program records with 187 blocks (12th in the NCAA for the season) and 1,409 rebounds (27th in the NCAA for the season). Alicia Froling earned all-conference honors, and set the single-season record with 17 double-doubles. She was one of five players to improve in shooting percentage under Mays’ leadership.
In 2019-20, Mays guided a third consecutive recruit to the AAC All-Freshman team as Reagan Bradley joined
Ariana Whitfield and Kayla White as an honoree.
Despite coaching a team with no seniors, Mays directed the Mustangs to 30 percent more wins than two seasons prior, going 13-15, and SMU finished just one game below .500 in conference play, 7-9. The record pushed the Mustangs up three spots in the league rankings to sixth, putting SMU in the top half of the standings for the first time since Mays' inaugural season.
Johnasia Cash nearly became the second player under Mays' leadership to average a double-double, with team-highs in points, 10.9, and rebounds, 9.5. The junior improved from 6.5 and 6.7 the previous season. Kayla White averaged double digits in scoring for a second-straight season, and Bradley set a freshman record and tied for ninth in a season overall with 127 assists.
In his second season, playing without three-time all-conference honoree Alicia Froling who missed the season due to injury, Mays and the Mustangs won just 10 games. However, 10 of the 20 losses were by 10 points or less, including a pair one-possession games. One of Mays’ first signees, Ariana Whitfield, was named to the league’s all-freshman team. He also guided senior McKenzie Adams to her first all-conference award, as the senior increased her shooting percentage and scoring average, finishing with 16.9 points per game to become the 24th 1,000-point scorer in program history.
In 2018-19, Mays guided one of the two youngest teams in the country to an 11-19 record. His leadership aided Alicia Froling to become the first player in program history with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Kayla White led the team in scoring. White was named to the conference all-freshman team, marking the second straight season in which a Mays recruit was honored by the league.
In 2019-20, Mays guided a third consecutive recruit to the AAC All-Freshman team as Reagan Bradley joined Ariana Whitfield and Kayla White as an honoree. Depsite coaching a team with no seniors, Mays directed the Mustangs to 30 percent more wins than two seasons prior, going 13-15, and SMU finished just one game below .500 in conference play, 7-9. The record pushed the Mustangs up three spots in the league rankings to sixth, putting SMU in the top half of the standings for the first time since Mays' inaugural season. Johnasia Cash nearly became the second player under Mays' leadership to average a double-double, averaging team-highs with 10.9 points and 9.5 rebounds, up from 6.5 and 6.7 the previous season. Kayla White averaged double digits in scoring for a second-straight season, and Bradley set a freshman record and tied for ninth in a season overall with 127 assists.
Mays came to SMU following four seasons as Associate Head Coach at Texas, where he made his mark on the program as a dynamic guard from 1986-90, and where he served a previous three-year stint as an assistant coach for the women's basketball program from 2004-07. He returned to UT in 2012 as Associate Head Coach. His duties at Texas included recruiting, preparing opponent scouting reports, instructing guards on the court and public speaking at various community service and campus events.
Following his playing days, Mays began his coaching career with a two-year stint in the WNBA with the San Antonio Silver Stars (2002-04) and then returned to his alma mater as an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt from 2004-07, where he proved himself as a gifted floor coach and recruiter. Mays moved on to LSU and worked on Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor's staff from 2007-11. At both UT and LSU, Mays helped ink nationally-acclaimed recruits, and all seven of the recruiting classes Mays assisted in assembling were ranked among the nation's top 25, including five top-five efforts - No. 1 (2005), No. 3 (2008), No. 3 (2016), No. 4 (2014) and No. 5 (2015).
After his time in Baton Rouge, Mays was an assistant coach at the University of Georgia for Hall of Fame coach Andy Landers. The Lady Bulldogs finished the 2011-12 season at 22-9 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's first round.
A 2002 inductee into UT's Men's Athletics Hall of Fame, Mays is still No. 2 among the Longhorns' career scoring leaders with 2,279 points and was the first player to earn back-to-back Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors in 1989 and 1990. As a senior, Mays was a second-team Associated Press All-American. He averaged 24.1 points per game and led Texas to the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. Included in that NCAA run was a 44-point outburst against Georgia in the first round that still ranks 14th-most all time in "March Madness" history. His 23 free throws made and 27 attempts at the line versus the Bulldogs remain NCAA Tournament records.
Mays was drafted by Sacramento with the No. 14 overall pick in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft, and he was a second-team All-Rookie selection after averaging 14.3 points per game. Mays then played two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, before rupturing two tendons in his right foot. He recovered and enjoyed a successful eight-season career overseas in Greece, Israel, Turkey and Italy.
A native of Ocala, Fla., he received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Texas in 1990. Mays and his wife, Mirella, have two children -- a daughter, Cherrell, and son, Trevor.
THE TRAVIS MAYS FILE
Full Name: Travis Cortez Mays
Hometown: Ocala, Fla.
Education: University of Texas, 1990
Birthdate: June 19, 1968
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2003-04 -- San Antonio Silver Stars (WNBA) -- Assistant Coach/Head Scout
2004-07 -- University of Texas -- Assistant Coach
2007-11 -- Louisiana State University -- Assistant Coach
2011-12 -- University of Georgia -- Assistant Coach
2012-16 -- University of Texas -- Associate Head Coach
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
1986-90 -- University of Texas
1991 -- Sacramento Kings (NBA)
1991-93 -- Atlanta Hawks (NBA)
1993-2001 -- European Pro Leagues
What They're Saying About Travis Mays
Geno Auriemma, Hall of Fame Coach
"Travis has done a great job helping to elevate programs everywhere he has been, and there is no doubt he will do the same thing at SMU."
Van Chancellor, Hall of Fame Coach
"I think as a former player at Texas, Travis has name recognition and the ability to recruit that will make him a tremendous hire at SMU. Sometimes during a hire, the Athletic Director is trying to hit a home run, and I think SMU has hit a grand slam. Travis will do a great job and be very successful at SMU."
Jody Conradt, Hall of Fame Coach
"Travis was outstanding as a player, very good and passionate about the game. I knew him as a player, and seeing him on the staff of a WNBA team gave me the comfort to hire him at Texas. It told me he had an appreciation for women's basketball and a future in the field. He was a great hire at Texas, eager to learn, and he turned the passion he had as a player into a passion for teaching the game. He was a wonderful assistant with the ability to establish relationships and connects with players very well. He has a great opportunity at a prominent institution in an excellent location, and I'm excited to watch what he does at SMU. I know he will be successful."
Vivian Stringer, Hall of Fame Coach
"I've admired Travis over the years and found him to be a consummate professional. Though he didn't know that I was watching, I admired his work ethic, the way he related to his colleagues, and his presentation. In talking with him, I found him to be bright and perceptive and have no doubt that Travis will be successful at the highest level of basketball, not just women's basketball. I understand why the top players in the nation want to play for Travis."
