College of Charleston women's basketball features new coach and roster but same expectations

Oct. 27—A year ago, the College of Charleston women’s basketball team had the best season in program history.

The Cougars won 27 games — most since joining the Division I ranks in the early 1990s — and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance.

What will the Cougars do for an encore?

Well, whatever Charleston manages to accomplish during the 2026-27 campaign, the Cougars will do it with a new coaching staff and an almost entirely revamped roster.

Days after leading the Cougars to March Madness against Duke, former head coach Robin Harmony left the Lowcountry to take the head coaching job at Pittsburgh. Harmony didn’t leave empty handed either, taking with her Taryn and Taylor Barbot — the team’s top two scorers — along with Jamisen Hill.

Former Clemson and Florida head coach Amanda Butler replaces Harmony and has just a handful of returning players to go along with seven new faces, including four freshmen.

“I think we can be very, very explosive at times,” said Butler, who has led teams to eight 20-win seasons during her coaching career. “We have tremendous versatility; we can go big or play small. I think we have certain lineups that can really shoot it and other lineups where we can elite end-to-end speed.

“We’re going to try and capitalize on all of those opportunities to try and gain some competitive advantage. We’re gonna play the style of play that makes sense with whatever five players we have on the court.”

After three straight 20-win seasons, the Cougars were picked to finish eighth in the Coastal Athletic Association preseason poll.

“The expectations are the same — we want to win championships,” Butler said. “We want Charleston to be a name that is synonymous with winning and winning conference championships. I think the best way we can honor last year’s success is to continue to peruse it and deliver those results.”

The one returning player with NCAA Tournament experience is guard Tyja Beans, who averaged 10 points and 4.1 rebounds a game last year for the Cougars.

Beans, who was a CAA preseason second-team selection, returns for her senior season following a standout performance in her first year as a Cougar. The guard appeared in all 33 games for Charleston last season, making 28 starts.

The Daytona Beach, Fla., native played a key role on both ends of the court adding 134 rebounds and 51 steals on the defensive end.

“Tyja is a dynamic athlete with a veteran brain,” Butler said. “She’s impressive is so many ways. Her work ethic and her spirit are a true embodiment of a student-athlete. She’s a powerful dynamic scorer and a high energy competitor.”

One of the transfers the Cougars will be relying on is Abby Jegede, who joins the program after spending the 2025-26 season at Tulsa. The guard proved to be an offensive threat for the Golden Hurricanes, recording five double-figure scoring performances, highlighted by a career-high 29 points against Prairie View.

Jegede isn’t unfamiliar with the CAA, having played at Northeastern during the 2024-25 campaign. As a member of the Huskies, Jegede averaged 15.6 points per game and surpassed the 20-point mark seven times.

“Abby is a proven scorer in the CAA,” said Butler. “She is very focused on making a big splash in her final collegiate campaign.”

College of Charleston Women

2025-26 record: 27-6, 16-2 CAA

Postseason: Won CAA Tournament; Lost to Duke 81-64 in opening round of NCAA Tournament

Coach: Amanda Butler (311-264 overall in 18 seasons; 0-0, 1st season at CofC)

Key losses: G Taryn Barbot (20.1 ppg., 5.2 rpg); G Taylor Barbot (11.4 ppg., 4.2 rpg); G/F Sophia Tougas (9.0 ppg., 2.7 rpg.).

Key returnees: G Tyja Beans (10.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg); G Anilys Rolon (3.0 ppg., 1.0 rpg).

Top newcomers: F Abby Jegede (Tulsa, 7.2 ppg., 4.0 rpg); F Isla Juffermans (Louisville, 2.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg).

Key games: Nov. 7 — Charleston Southern; Nov. 10 — at Southern Cal; Jan. 3 — Monmouth.

CofC Schedule

NOVEMBER

2 — Berry College, 5 p.m.; 7 — Charleston Southern, 1 p.m.; 10 — at Southern Cal, TDB; 12 — at California, TBD; 18 — at Queens, 7 p.m.; 26 — *McNeese State, 1 p.m.; 27 — *Boston College, noon

DECEMBER

2 — LaGrange College, 11 a.m.; 12 — Coastal Carolina, 2 p.m.; 15 — at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m.; 20 — Richmond, 12 p.m.; 28 — at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m.

JANUARY

3 — Monmouth, 1 p.m.; 8 — at Hampton, TBD; 10 — at William & Mary, TBD; 15 — North Carolina A&T, 6 p.m.; 17 — Northeastern, 1 p.m.; 22 — at Drexel, TBD; 24 — at Monmouth, 2 p.m.; 29 — UNC Wilmington, 6 p.m.

FEBRUARY

5 — Stony Brook, 6 p.m.; 7 — Towson, 1 p.m.; 12 — at Campbell, TBD; 19 — at Stony Brook, TBD; 21 — at Hofstra, TBD; 28 — at UNC Wilmington, TBD.

MARCH

4 — Hampton, 6 p.m.; 6 — Elon, 1 p.m. 10-14 — CAA Tournament, (Washington, D.C.).

*-St. Pete Tournament.

Reach Andrew Miller at 843-937-5599. Follow him on X @APMILLER_PandC