AUBURN, Ala. – Ketara Chapel, who spent last season at Texas after a six-year playing and coaching career at Mississippi State, has joined the Auburn women's basketball staff as an assistant coach, Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris announced Tuesday.
"Ketara is an outstanding young coach who excels at connecting to and building relationships with her student-athletes," Harris said. "She is a leader who has a clear understanding of the game and how to teach it. Her championship mentality, passion and drive will be instrumental in the success of our program. She is one of the toughest players that I have coached. We are extremely blessed to have her join our Auburn Family."
Chapel joins the Auburn Family after spending the 2020-21 season as Coordinator of Player Development at Texas, joining Harris on the Longhorn staff. The Longhorns had a strong first season under Harris and head coach Vic Schaefer's staff, compiling a 21-10 overall record and advancing to the Elite Eight.
"I am very excited to be here at Auburn and back in the SEC," Chapel said. "This conference is where I started my college career, and with that I believe I will have instant credibility with the team. I know what it takes to win at this level and to play in the toughest conference in the country.
"I am grateful to be on this journey with Coach Harris and the coaching staff. She was my position coach my four years at Mississippi State and ultimately became my mentor when I decided to get into coaching. Everything I have learned when I first started coaching, Coach Harris had a hand in it. I am extremely thankful for her belief in me and the opportunity to be on her staff here at Auburn."
After helping build Mississippi State into a national contender as a player, Chapel spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at her alma mater.
Chapel joined Dominique Dillingham as part of the first recruiting class signed by Schaefer at MSU. As freshmen in 2013-14, they helped guide Mississippi State to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. The following year, they led the Bulldogs to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.
After helping take Mississippi State to the Sweet 16 as a junior, Chapel led the Bulldogs to a thrilling win against Baylor that clinched the Oklahoma City Regional championship and the program's first trip to the Final Four.
Chapel was a key part of MSU's historic upset of top-ranked UConn that gave the Bulldogs a berth in the first of back-to-back national championship games.
The Temple, Texas, native and four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection was part of 111 victories in her four seasons in Starkville. During that time, she appeared in 142 games and started 61 contests, averaging 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest.
Ketara Chapel, left, looks on as Johnnie Harris instructs her Mississippi State team while the two were on staff together at MSU.