Laura Lynne Beeman (born April 16, 1968) is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach at the University of Hawaii.

Laura Beeman
Beeman in 2011
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamHawaii
ConferenceBig West
Record200–159 (.557)
Biographical details
Born (1968-04-16) April 16, 1968 (age 56)
San Bernardino, California, U.S.
Playing career
1987–1988UC Riverside
1989–1991Cal State San Bernardino
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992–1994Redlands (asst.)
1994–1995Mt. San Antonio (asst.)
1995–2010Mt. San Antonio
2008–2009Los Angeles Sparks (asst.)
2010–2012USC (asst.)
2012–presentHawaii
Head coaching record
Overall200–159 (.557) (college)
390–110 (.780) (junior college)
Tournaments0–3 (NCAA)
0–4 (WNIT)
0-1 (WBIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards

Early life and education

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Born and raised in San Bernardino, California, Beeman attended San Gorgonio High School in ninth grade before transferring to San Bernardino High School and graduating in 1986.[1] She redshirted a year due to a knee injury,[2] then played 24 games for then-Division II UC Riverside in the 1987–88 season under coach Nancy Simpson. Beeman averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds.[3]

Beeman then transferred to then-Division III Cal State San Bernardino and played from 1989 to 1991. As a sophomore in 1989–90, Beeman averaged 7.3 points and 3.0 rebounds and helped Cal State San Bernardino to a 24–4 season and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.[2][4] In 1990–91, her junior year, Beeman averaged 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds.[5] Beeman left the team after that season and graduated with a degree in business marketing in 1992.[2][6]

Coaching career

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Also enrolling as a graduate student, Beeman became a women's basketball assistant coach at the University of Redlands in 1992. She completed her M.Ed. in counseling in 1994.[6]

At the junior college level, Beeman became a women's basketball assistant coach at Mt. San Antonio College in 1994.[2] She also enrolled at Azusa Pacific University that year and earned a master's degree in physical education in 1996.[6] Beeman also was promoted to head coach at Mt. San Antonio in 1995.[2] At Mt. San Antonio, Beeman led the program to four CCCAA titles (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008), ten South Coast Conference titles, and a 390–110 record in 15 seasons from 1995 to 2010.[6][7]

Beeman was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA under Michael Cooper in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. From 2010 to 2012, Beeman was an assistant coach at USC, again under Cooper.[8]

In 2012, the University of Hawaii at Manoa hired Beeman as head coach for Hawaii Rainbow Wahine basketball. In eleven seasons, Beeman led Hawai'i to four WNIT appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019) and three NCAA tournament appearances (2016, 2022, 2023). Hawaii won the Big West Conference regular season title in 2015, 2022 and 2024 and Big West tournament in 2016, 2022 and 2023.[6][9]

Head coaching record

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NCAA

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Hawaii Rainbow Wahine (Big West Conference) (2012–present)
2012–13 Hawai'i 17–14 13–5 T–2nd WNIT First Round
2013–14 Hawai'i 17–14 10–6 3rd WNIT First Round
2014–15 Hawai'i 23–9 14–2 1st WNIT First Round
2015–16 Hawai'i 21–11 12–4 T–2nd NCAA First Round
2016–17 Hawai'i 12–18 7–9 T–6th
2017–18 Hawai'i 12–18 5–11 8th
2018–19 Hawai'i 15–17 10–6 T–2nd WNIT First Round
2019–20 Hawai'i 16–14 9–7 T–2nd
2020–21 Hawai'i 9–8 7–6 5th
2021–22 Hawai'i 20–10 13–3 1st NCAA First Round
2022–23 Hawai'i 18–15 13–7 3rd NCAA First Round
2023–24 Hawai'i 20–11 17–3 1st WBIT First Round
Hawaii: 200–159 (.557) 130–69 (.653)
Total: 200–159 (.557)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ Chino High School's Candida Echeverria named player of year in 2-A Div. basketball for '86
  2. ^ a b c d e Gardner, Michelle (December 14, 2007). "Beeman builds a winner at Mt. SAC". Inside Socal. Los Angeles News Group. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  3. ^ Final 1988 Women's Basketball Statistics Report: UC Riverside
  4. ^ Final 1990 Division III Women's Basketball Statistics Report: Cal State San Bernardino
  5. ^ Final 1991 Division III Women's Basketball Statistics Report: Cal State San Bernardino
  6. ^ a b c d e "Laura Beeman". University of Hawaii Athletics. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  7. ^ "Laura Beeman". Mt. San Antonio College. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  8. ^ "Laura Beeman". USC Athletics. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  9. ^ "2015-2016 Women's Basketball Schedule". Hawaii Athletics. Retrieved June 16, 2016.