5-31-2022
Jennie Baranczyk was named the ninth head coach of the Oklahoma women’s basketball program on April 10, 2021, and enters her second season at the helm of the program in 2022-23.
The 11th-year head coach spent nine seasons at Drake before starting her Oklahoma tenure in 2021-22.
In Baranczyk’s (pronounced bah-RAHN-check) first year in Norman, she led one of the greatest turnarounds in the country, guiding the Sooners to a 25-9 record and into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Formerly Jennie Lillis, Baranczyk spent her collegiate career at the University of Iowa (2000-04) and is regarded as one of the best all-around players in Hawkeye women’s basketball history. She was a three-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, earning first-team honors as a junior (2003) and second-team recognition as a sophomore (2002) and senior (2004).
The Urbandale, Iowa, product led the Hawkeyes to four postseason appearances, including three NCAA tournament berths and the 2001 Big Ten Tournament title. Baranczyk graduated as the only player in Iowa history ranked in the top 10 of five major statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Additionally, she was one of only two Hawkeyes to score more than 1,700 points and grab 800 rebounds in their career.
Baranczyk earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Iowa in 2004. She was the recipient of the 2004 Big Ten Conference’s Medal of Honor, the award given annually to a student in the graduating class of each university that demonstrated proficiency in scholarship and athletics. She was also a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, a WBCA Scholarship Award recipient, a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a Collegiate Basketball Award for Excellence semifinalist as a senior in 2004.
Baranczyk, who obtained a master’s degree in counseling and student development from Kansas State in 2006, is married. She and her husband, Scott, have a son, Eli, and two daughters, Jordi and Hope.
Chair of the Day
Jill Hughes
Jill is the Assistant Vice President of Advancement for the Norman campus at the University of Oklahoma. Jill leads a dynamic team of 27 fundraisers and oversees fundraising activity for all 14 Norman academic colleges and a variety of Norman units including the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art and the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. In addition, Jill has responsibility for the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations which supports all three OU campuses.
During Jill’s 18-year career at OU and the OU Foundation, she has been a part of a variety multimillion-dollar campaigns. In 2009, Jill founded the OU Women’s Philanthropy Network, a university-wide initiative designed to engage more women in the life of the University.
Before moving to academia, Jill spent eight years with the Walt Disney World Resort. With Disney, Jill served as Sales and Marketing Recruiter, Senior Corporate Sales Manager and 1998 Walt Disney World Ambassador. The Disney Ambassador program was created by Walt Disney himself in 1965 and has since expanded worldwide, with representatives acting as official spokespeople and emissaries of goodwill in local communities.
Jill graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Oklahoma. She is a Certified Fundraising Executive and regularly speaks about the value of philanthropy, professional brand and guest service. Jill serves on the board of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art and is a member of VEST, a network of women working to expedite the pipeline of women in positions of power and influence. Jill is a proud member of Oklahoma City Rotary Club 29. Jill and her husband Bill live in Norman, Oklahoma and are proud parents of son William.