UNK head women’s basketball coach Carrie Eighmey is moving up the collegiate coaching ladder. The 2023 MIAA Coach of the Year accepted the head coaching job at the University of Idaho on Friday. 

“Carrie helped elevate our program and built it into a national contender,” said UNK Athletic Director Marc Bauer. “She grew fan interest and community support and positively impacted Loper women’s basketball and our student-athletes in countless ways.”

Eighmey has been with the Lopers since the 2015-16 season. With a 165-74 record, Eighmey’s 69% win percentage is the second-highest in program history. This trails Amy Stephens, who won 82% of games going 197-43 from 1995-2002. 

Eighmey’s Lopers have won 23 games or more in each of the past four seasons.

The three-person staff has helped develop current and past players alike, including one of last year’s leaders, Klaire Kirsch. 

“I almost get emotional thinking about how grateful I am for the three of them,” Kirsch said. “I grew so much as a player and that is a huge credit to the staff. I view them as family, whether they are in Idaho or across the world somewhere.”

At UNK, Eighmey’s assistant coaches included her husband, Devin Eighmey, and Bailey Morris. 

During their time in Kearney, the staff focused on basketball, of course, but also valued what happened off the court.

“My leadership has grown tremendously from my freshman year until now,” Kirsch said. “They have nurtured all of these positive things in me to come out into the person I enjoy being now. I credit them so much for building the culture that they did.”