Legendary college basketball coach dies at 63... just three months after retiring

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By JAKE FENNER

Published: 21:17 BST, 25 June 2025 | Updated: 21:32 BST, 25 June 2025

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Just a few months after announcing her retirement from being head women\'s basketball coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, Joye Lee-McNelis has died at the age of 63.

Lee-McNelis succumbed to a long battle with lung cancer.

She had spent the past 21 years leading the Golden Eagles\' women\'s basketball team and called it a career at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Lee-McNelis ended a 34-year career coaching the sport, amassing 550 wins as the head coach of Memphis and Southern Miss.

The school paid tribute to her after her passing was announced on Wednesday afternoon.

\'Joye Lee-McNelis, my friend of more than four decades, led a life of leadership that personified Southern Miss grit,\' wrote school president Dr. Joe Paul. \'Her work in molding young women will ripple out in the world for generations. Joye Lee-McNelis is a Southern Miss legend, and we will forever miss her and honor her memory.\' 

Athletic Director Dr. Jeremy McClain said, \'Joye was an inspiration to us all. Her determination, her resolve and her love for life were reflected in the way she went about her day. She was strong in her faith and cared deeply about those close to her. Her impact on women\'s basketball, her players and her coaches is immeasurable, and her legacy will live on forever at Southern Miss.\'

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