‘We did our job’: Detroit Mercy women’s coach Kate Achter staying through 2028-29
Tony PaulIt's been a busy week for Detroit Mercy basketball.
Athletic director Robert Vowels has checked one item off his to-do list: He announced Tuesday that the school has reached an agreement on a contract extension for head women's coach Kate Achter that will run through the 2028-29 season.
Now, Vowels will turn his attention to hiring the next men's head coach, after the school parted ways with Mike Davis after six seasons last week.
"I'm really excited," Achter said over the phone Tuesday. "I feel like we did our job and we did it really well. Obviously, the work's not done, but it's really nice to be recognized for what you have done. It's not always like that in this business."
In her second season, Achter, 37, orchestrated one of the best turnarounds in the nation, posting a 17-16 record, for a 12-win improvement from her first season. The 12-win improvement was the biggest one-year gain in program history.
Detroit Mercy had won 19 games total in the previous six seasons.
The Titans won nine Horizon League games and a tournament game for the first time since 2016-17, four coaches ago.
Achter and Vowels have been engaged in extension talks for the past several weeks, as another state school, Eastern Michigan, has begun looking for its next head coach. There were no serious talks between Achter and EMU.
Terms of her Detroit Mercy extension weren't disclosed on Achter's deal, because Detroit Mercy is a private school, but her annual salary is believed to be in the $200,000 range.
"Coach Achter has done a remarkable job of building a program in two years and the future is extremely bright," Vowels said in a statement. "I commend her for rebuilding the culture, identifying student-athletes who are solid academically, finding players who compete, give great effort and have impeccable character.
"She also has assembled a strong coaching staff to help teach, mentor and coach."
Achter said Tuesday that her entire coaching staff is expected to return for next season, as is much of the roster. The Titans lose just one starter, guard Imani McNeal, who averaged 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds this past season.
Detroit Mercy also will lose senior Jada Moorehead, who was the Titans' first player off the bench. The Jackson native averaged 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.
The Titans got off to a 7-4 start in nonconference play — their most non-conference wins since 1991-92 — and then 14-8, before struggling in the month of February. They beat Robert Morris, 59-48, at home in the Horizon League tournament opener, before falling at Purdue Fort Wayne, 66-35, in the quarterfinal round.
Asked about the pressure of building on this season, Achter had a different take.
"For me, it's still staying the course," said Achter, who came to Detroit Mercy after a stint as head coach at Loyola-Chicago. "Though we won a lot of games, we lost a lot of games we probably should've competed in better to win.
"For me, it's just about consistency. Can you show up and be reasonably competitive again the next season? I think we're in the right spot to do that.
"There's no pressure to repeat. There's just pressure to continue to build."
Asked how she was celebrating her extension Tuesday, Achter quipped, "Cleaning my garage."
Achter, a Bowling Green alum, also will be part of the committee that selects Detroit Mercy's next men's coach.
@tonypaul1984