A native Oklahoman, Sherri Coale is a graduate of Healdton High School and Oklahoma Christian College, earning a BSE and graduating summa cum laude. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1996.

After an extraordinarily successful collegiate playing career, Coale moved from the court to the sideline as she began what would become a hall of fame career as a women’s basketball coach. After seven years and two state championships as the head coach at Norman High School, Coale was hired to re-build the women’s basketball program at the University of Oklahoma. During her 25-year career at OU, she led the Sooners to 19 straight NCAA tournament appearances, ten conferences titles, and three Final Fours.

Coale also led Team USA to a gold medal victory over Russia in 2015. She is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Christian Hall of Fame, and the FCA Circle of Champions. In the spring of 2026, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Oklahoma. She has served as president of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the Kay Yow Foundation and currently serves as a board trustee at Oklahoma Christian University.

Coale has written two books, Rooted to Rise and The Compost File. She continues to write and is a highly respected keynote speaker and leadership consultant.

Coale and her husband, Dane, have two children, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and two granddaughters.