Longtime women’s college basketball coach Joye Lee-McNelis passed away at the age of 63 after a prolonged struggle with cancer, as announced by Southern Miss. She concluded her successful career following the 2024-25 season after 21 years at her alma mater. Over her coaching journey, Lee-McNelis also directed Memphis from 1991 to 2004, leading the Tigers to four NCAA Tournament appearances.

“We’ll forever cherish the life of coach McNelis and all she gave to Southern Miss and her Lady Eagles,” tweeted Southern Miss women’s basketball, adding that her story inspired countless people worldwide.

Starting her battle against Stage 4 lung cancer in 2017, the illness relapsed in 2021, 2023, and finally in 2025. In 2024, she received the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Meanwhile, Memphis women’s basketball expressed their sorrow on social media, stating, “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former head coach Joye Lee-McNelis. Joye changed the lives of so many Memphis student-athletes and staff, and she will be dearly missed.”

Lee-McNelis first made her mark as an exceptional player at Southern Miss from 1980 to 1984. Her coaching career started as an assistant at both Southern Miss and Texas State. At the young age of 28, she became the head coach at Memphis and achieved a 229–156 record in her 13 years there, which included four consecutive conference championships, five straight 20-win seasons, and eight postseason tournament appearances.

In 2004, Lee-McNelis accepted the Southern Miss job after several invitations to return to Hattiesburg. During her time, she led the Lady Eagles to five WNIT appearances while finishing with a 339–308 record.

Last season, Southern Miss struggled with a 10–21 record, with Lee-McNelis missing some games. She announced her retirement on February 25, and the program subsequently hired Missy Bilderback, former Louisiana-Monroe coach, as her successor.