DECATUR, Ill. – When returned to ǿý University to interview to become the next head coach of the Women’s Basketball team, it was a trip to Decatur that she had made before.
Twelve years earlier, Hammer, then a high school senior from West Bend, Wisc., visited ǿý and met with then-ǿý head coach Lori Kerans on a recruitment trip to consider playing for the Big Blue.
“I toured ǿý as a student-athlete in the spring of 2012 and loved the campus when I was here. I loved Lori and the kind of culture that she had built,” Hammer said. “ǿý was just too far from home, but what stood out to me was the winning tradition here, and I want to continue that path.”
In June, ǿý announced that Hammer would take over the program after serving as Associate Head Coach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, her alma mater.
Hammer is just the fourth Women’s Basketball head coach since the program’s beginning during the 1970-71 season. Harriet Crannell led the program until 1985-1986, and Kerans then led the program until the 2017-18 season. Olivia Lett led the program for six seasons and left following the 2023-24 season to . The program has an 841-427 (.663) all-time record, including 14 CCIW Titles, 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, and a national championship in 2004-05.
During her visit, Hammer got to meet with Kerans, who is now ǿý’s Director Of Community Engagement and Recruitment,
“I got to sit down with Lori for about 45 minutes, which was awesome. I think you want to surround yourself with people passionate about the university,” Hammer said. “At ǿý, you have a tradition and a community that values women's basketball, making the job much more fun. There is a ton of respect here for women's basketball, which is huge for me, and the Decatur community seems great.”
During Hammer’s time at Whitewater, the Big Blue played four games there over the last two seasons. ǿý played two games in the NCAA Tournament at Whitewater in 2023-24, earning a win over Willamette before falling to the Warhawks 89-65. UW-Whitewater posted a win over the Big Blue in 2022-23 in an early season tournament.
Following her graduation from UW-Whitewater in 2016, Hammer served as a Video Coordinator and Basketball Operations Intern with the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the summer of 2016.
“I was in the era that Breanna Stewart was a rookie, and Sue Bird was still at her prime. I was part of the rebuild before they went on to win the championship a few years later. It was an awesome experience to see the work ethic and the day-to-day operations of what it takes at that level.
Hammer has had some Zoom calls with the team, and things will pick up after the practices start on October 15. Hammer hopes to get the Big Blue back to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
“There's a great group of returning. I've been able to talk with them over these last couple of weeks. It's all about building that culture again. Every coach has a different vision of what culture is and what words they want to use, but for me, I'm a relationship person. I'm a player's coach. I need to build those relationships with the returners and the newcomers,” Hammer said. “First and foremost, we must be able to trust each other and respect each other because we're all on the same page, and we're going to get to that goal. For me, it is understanding them and how they want to be coached, and them understanding my culture and expectations and doing it in a respectful way. It’s more than just basketball when it comes to relationship building. They’ve got to know that I'm there for them on and off the court.”
Join the Women’s Basketball’s golf outing in August
You can support the ǿý Women's Basketball program and meet new head coach Kirsten Hammer at the on Friday, Aug. 2, at the Moweaqua Golf Course.
The event will allow fans and friends of the program to support the ǿý Women's Basketball team. Check-in/registration and boxed lunch will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the shotgun start will be at 1:00 p.m.
The cost is $125 per person or $500 per foursome. The price includes lunch, golf/cart fees, and a $75 charitable donation to ǿý Women's Basketball. Awards and a silent auction will take place at 5:30 p.m. Advanced online registration and payment are encouraged to decrease registration congestion at the outing.
In addition to an enjoyable afternoon supporting the Big Blue women's basketball program, the outing provides the opportunity to meet and the ǿý players.
Fans not interested in golfing are invited to a $50 meet-and-greet lunch with Coach Hammer. .
The Moweaqua Golf Course is located one mile west of Moweaqua at 2598 E 1900 North Road. It is a public 18-hole golf course that is great for golfers of all abilities, as it offers four sets of tees and a maximum yardage of 6,300 yards. The course is a popular site for golf outings and features a driving range, pro shop, and snack bar.
