Destinee Rogers enters her fourth full season as head coach of the Arkansas State women’s basketball program in 2025-26. She was named the eighth all-time head coach on March 13, 2022, after completing the 2021-22 season - her third on staff - as the team's interim head coach.
2024-25
Despite being picked to finish 13th in the Sun Belt and retaining three players from the 2023-24 roster, Arkansas State women’s basketball coach Destinee Rogers led the Red Wolves to a 21-11 (15-3 SBC) record, securing the first winning season since 2015-16 and the program's first NCAA Tournament Appearance.
The Red Wolves were the only team from any conference picked to finish last or next-to-last in the preseason poll to finish top two in the conference standings. Coach Rogers did so by reimagining the Scarlet and Black’s offense, which led the nation in three-point makes (10.4 3PG) and attempts (32.7 APG). She led her team to the T-7th most wins and third-most conference wins for a single season in program history.
A 13-game winning streak beginning on Jan. 2 versus Marshall and running through Feb. 15 against Texas State highlighted the conference slate. It was the second longest winning streak in program history, falling six short of tying the record set in 2015-16. The Scarlet and Black finished 9-0 in January for the third time in program history and finished with the third best road record since 2009-10.
New program records for three-point makes and attempts were established, converting 334 on 1,047 attempts. In NCAA Women's Basketball history, 117 teams have converted 300 triples only 126 times in a single season. 15 programs have attempted 1,000 three-point attempts only 33 times since the 1981-82 season.
A-State defeated James Madison 86-79 in overtime to claim the program's first Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship on March 10. The Red Wolves punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, facing the national champion UConn Huskies.
Coach Rogers produced an All-Sun Belt Second and Third Team selection along with two SBC All-Tournament selections and the SBC Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
2023-24
Rogers' finished her second season with a 13-17 overall record along with a 6-12 conference mark for the second consecutive season. The Red Wolves ranked 56th in the nation for free-throw percentage and 63rd for turnovers during the campaign. In addition, the team played clean as they led the Sun Belt in fouls per game.
She played an important role in guiding Izzy Higginbottom to First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors, producing the program's latest first team selection since 2015-16. Higginbottom spearheaded the Red Wolves' attack, placing ninth in the nation in scoring average (22.2 PPG), sixth in free throw percentage (91.1), and seventh in free throws made (175). She finished second behind Caitlin Clark for the most 30-point performances in the campaign. The Red Wolves added two 1,000-point scorers to the record book under her guidance, with Lauryn Pendleton being the latest addition.
2022-23
Rogers’ first full season at the helm ended with a 13-19 overall mark and 6-12 ledger in conference play, but the Red Wolves finished strong with wins in seven of their last 11 contests. In that final stretch run, A-State reached the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time since 2017, winning two games at the league tourney for the first time since 2015.
Under her guidance, guard Izzy Higginbottom garnered Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year honors, becoming the first A-State player since 1999 to earn the honor. Higginbottom was among the league’s top offensive threats, leading the team in scoring (16.0), assists (3.4) and steals (1.8), while shooting a school-record 91.1 percent from the free-throw line. Higginbottom was also the first A-State player since Aundrea Gamble (2015-16) to exceed 450 points, 95 assists and 50 steals in a season.
2021-22
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. With her hiring as the team’s full-time head coach, she made even 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.
2019-21: ASSISTANT COACH/ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
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.
BEFORE ARKANSAS STATE
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.
PLAYING CAREER
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.
PERSONAL
Rogers earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences in 2012 and a Master of Science in Health Sciences in 2014.
