Maureen Hirt - Denison University Women's Basketball Head Coach, 2026 NCAA D3 National Champions

Maureen Hirt is the Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Denison University where she led the Big Red to the D3 National Championship in 2026. On their way to the title, the Big Red took down two unbeaten squads and became the first NCAC team to win the national championship since DePauw in 2013. In her 4 seasons at Denison Hirt has compiled a 75-36 overall record

Hirt came to Denison after spending the previous season as the Associate Head Coach at Oberlin College, her third year on staff as an assistant for the Yeowomen. During her second year at Oberlin, Hirt was one of 10 Tara VanDerveer fellows across the country to be a part of the 2020 cohort for the Women’s Sports Foundation’s advancement of women in coaching.

Hirt is the Co-Founder and Owner of Ohio Champion Basketball (OCB), a basketball skills and performance training company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since November of 2015, OCB has trained athletes from the middle school to professional level. She began her coaching career as the Guardian Angels eighth grade boys’ head basketball coach, a position she held for four seasons from October 2014-February 2018.

Hirt played her college basketball at Kenyon College where she was two-time team captain and the 2014 North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She was a four-time All-NCAC player and three-time first-team all-conference selection, and is still the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,819 career points. After her senior season, she was recognized as a D3 Women’s News Third-Team All-American and first-team all-region performer.

On this episode Mike & Maureen discuss Denison’s journey to 2026 D3 Women’s National Championship. Throughout our discussion, we delve into her strategic approach to coaching, emphasizing the importance of fostering a strong team culture and the mental fortitude required to transition from being the hunted to the hunter in collegiate basketball. Coach Hirt reflects on the significance of player development and the challenges her team faced during their championship season. We also explore her personal journey in basketball, from her early experiences as a player to her current role as a head coach, highlighting the challenges and joys encountered along the way. This episode serves as an insightful examination of Denison’s National Championship season and the relationships that are formed as a result.

.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Hoop Heads Pod on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and while you’re there please leave us a 5 star rating and review. Your ratings help your friends and coaching colleagues find the show. If you really love what you’re hearing recommend the Hoop Heads Pod to someone and get them to join you as a part of Hoop Heads Nation.

You’ll want to grab pen and paper before you listen to this episode with Maureen Hirt , Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Denison University, 2026 D3 National Champions.

Website - denisonbigred.com/sports/womens-basketball
Email - hirtm@denison.edu
Twitter/X - @MaureenHirt