UNA women’s basketball program will have a new leader next season, with the current head coach stepping down to take a position at a school that she is no stranger to.
Head Coach Candi Whitaker led the Lions to a 17-14 record during the 2025-26 season, including an 11-7 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The season represented the program’s most overall wins, conference victories and Division I wins since the 2019-20 season.
“Candi Whitaker is a highly respected and accomplished head coach who has been an outstanding leader for our women’s basketball program,” North Alabama Director of Athletics Dr. Josh Looney said. “This opportunity represents a full circle moment for Candi, returning to a place deeply connected to her personal and professional roots. We’re grateful for her contributions to UNA and wish her continued success.”
Whitaker was proud of the growth that her team displayed before the beginning of this year’s ASUN conference tournament.
“It feels like two different sessions to be honest, how much we’ve evolved. That’s always the fun part for me,” she said. “Every year is different, and I’m just really proud of this team — figuring out ways to win and having great resiliency to overcome a lot of injuries [with] a very short bench playing a lot of minutes. But we’ve found a level of toughness about us that I’m super proud of.”
Whitaker returns to University of Missouri – Kansas City, where she previously served as head coach from 2006-12. She said Florence quickly felt like home and thanked the university and players for their support during her time with the Lions.
“It has been a great privilege to coach each of the young women that [have] put on a UNA uniform over the past two seasons,” Whitaker said. “This is a special place with a great fan base, and I have no doubt this program and university will continue to raise the bar of excellence and success in the coming years. Our family will always look back so fondly on our time here. Roar Lions!”
