Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Ellen Kreighbaum Women's Head Basketball Coach
- Email:
- MSUBobcatsWBB1@gmail.com
- Phone:
- 406.994.4442
When Tricia Binford took over the Montana State women’s basketball program in the spring of 2005, she inherited a program in search of stability and someone to guide the Bobcats back to the upper echelons of the Big Sky Conference. Now, 21 years later, the former Boise State and WNBA standout is MSU’s longest tenured coach as well as its winningest in history with an unprecedented level of excellence on the court, in the classroom and within the community. Those three hallmarks make Bobcat basketball one of the most respected programs in the country.
For the past 18 years, Binford has not had a losing season, a stretch that ranks No. 1 in the annals of Bobcat women’s basketball. Her most successful seasons to date have come in the last two years, with a combined 57 victories between 2024-25 and 2025-26. In the most recent MSU campaign, Binford led the Bobcats to the Big Sky Conference championship game and the third round of the WNIT in their longest season in program history.
Binford's 2025-26 roster was nothing short of stellar with five phenomenal starters and an array of talent coming off the bench. The lineup was led by sophomore standout Taylee Chirrick, who became the first Bobcat in program history to be named both the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Chirrick set a new school and conference record with 149 steals in a single season, en route to becoming a first team All-Big Sky selection alongside teammate Addison Harris.
No Big Sky team has won more league games than the Bobcats in the last five seasons. Montana State has racked up 70 wins since the 2021-22 campaign. They are followed in the top five by NAU (60), Idaho (55), Idaho State (48), EWU (48) and Montana (48). In the winter of 2026, Montana State posted the best record in school history going 30-4 overall and 17-1 in Big Sky action. MSU's 30 wins are the most ever recorded by a women's team in the history of the Big Sky Conference. Binford saw repeated success in the 2025-26 season, leading the team to 27 wins, a mark behind only the previous season. The combined 57 victories in back-to-back years mark the most by a team in consecuitve seasons in Big Sky history, and one of just nine 50-plus win marks in the conference.
A five-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, Binford has notched 359 career victories at Montana State, which ranks first on MSU’s all-time basketball coaching ladder. She guided the Bobcats to a 74-71 win against Weber State on Feb. 5, 2021, en route to surpassing legendary coach and player Brick Breeden (283) for the top spot on Montana State’s all-time wins list for both men and women. Binford’s current total of 240 victories in Big Sky Conference play is second in league history behind Montana’s former head coach Robin Selvig.
In her 21 years in the Gallatin Valley, Binford has produced a whopping 158 Big Sky Conference All-Academic honorees; 49 Big Sky Conference Players of the Week; 44 All-Big Sky Conference performers; one two-time Academic All-American and ten CSCAcademic All District recipients. She has produced five Big Sky MVPs: Taylee Chirrick Fallyn Freije, Peyton Ferris, Jasmine Hommes and Esmeralda Morales; three Big Sky Tournament MVPs – Peyton Ferris, Darian White, and Esmeralda Morales; five Big Sky Conference Defensive Players of the Year; three Big Sky Newcomers of the Year; two Big Sky Conference Freshmen of the Year; four Big Sky Top Reserves of the Year; two All-America Honorable Mention in Katie Bussey in 2012 and Esmeralda Morales in 2025; and six MSU/Big Sky Conference Female Scholar Athletes of the Year.
Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 129-28 (82.2%) overall and 91-19 (82.7%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. From the start of the 2015-16 Big Sky season to the beginning of 2017-18 in league play- MSU rattled off a 19-game home court win streak. In her 20 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 199-77 (72.1%) overall and 133-52 (71.9%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
In 2025-26, Montana State averaged a Big Sky Conference and school-best 2,496 fans per game. The Bobcats have consistently been among the top 100 in the nation in attendance under Binford's watch. The Cats finished with an unblemished record at home, collecting 15 wins for their first undefeated home campaign since the 2016-17 season. The Brick Breeden Fieldhouse hosted a pair of WNIT games in March, welcoming more than 2,800 fans to support the Bobcats postseason success.
On the court, Binford’s squads have been a part of seven championship games, winning the Big Sky Tournament title in 2017, 2022 and 2025. MSU has made 20 straight postseason appearances, including owning the No. 1 seed in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2025. In the classroom, the Bobcats have been ranked among the top 15 academic teams in the nation at the NCAA Division I level on seven occasions. And, within the community, the women’s program has consistently given back its time, with Taylee Chirrick leading the way in 2025-26 with the most community service hours by an MSU individual.
Binford became the 11th Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Montana State on April 13, 2005. Prior to MSU, Binford, served two seasons at Utah State. At USU, Binford earned her coaching wings under head coach Raegan Scott-Pebley. The duo helped reestablish the Aggie program following a 16-year hiatus. With the Aggies, Binford was responsible for recruiting, defense, and guard play.
Binford, who also served as an assistant coach at her alma mater - Boise State University - from 1999-2001, was the 31st overall pick in the 1998 WNBA draft, and played professionally with the Cleveland Rockers from 1999-02, where she participated on the 2001 Eastern Conference Championship team. She played with the Utah Starzz from 1998-99. She also played professionally in Australia for two years, including stints with the NWBL’s Brisbane Blazers, Latrobe Demons and Launceston Tornadoes. Playing in the NWBL in 1997, she set a single-game scoring record with 67 points - which was part of a quadruple-double along with 14 assists, ten steals and ten rebounds.
As Tricia Bader, she was a three-time All-Big Sky Conference selection on some of the best teams in Boise State history. She led the Broncos to a national ranking and the NCAA tournament. Binford was also a member of the 1993 West Team at the U.S. Olympic Festival coached by current Connecticut head man Geno Auriemma. For her efforts, she was named the 1996 Idaho NCAA Woman of the Year and was inducted in the Boise State Hall of Fame in 2001. Binford left Boise State with the school’s career assists record and was second in steals. She posted a career 1,171 points — all from the point guard position.
Binford prepped at Roaring Fork High School in Carbondale, Colo., where she was the Colorado Player of the Year and a Street and Smith’s High School All-American in 1991. She received her degree in criminal justice from Boise State in 1995.
PERSONAL INFO: Born in Decatur, Ill. ... Daughter of Jim and Lyn Bader ... Has a sister Kristin Hall and a brother Jeff ... Husband Todd graduated from Idaho (‘96) ... Has two children, Justin and Brooklyn.
| Season | Overall Record | Conference Record |
Finish | Postseason Appearances |
| 2005-06 | 3-23 | 2-12 | 8th | |
| 2006-07 | 13-16 | 8-8 | 5th | BSC Tournament |
| 2007-08 | 18-13 | 11-5 | 3rd | BSC Tournament |
| 2008-09 | 15-15 | 8-8 | 3rd | BSC Tournament |
| 2009-10 | 18-14 | 9-7 | 5th | BSC Tournament |
| 2010-11 | 17-14 | 11-5 | 3rd | BSC Tournament |
| 2011-12 | 19-11 | 10-6 | 3rd | BSC Tournament |
| 2012-13 | 17-13 | 11-9 | 6th | BSC Tournament |
| 2013-14 | 15-15 | 10-10 | 6th | BSC Tournament |
| 2014-15 | 15-15 | 9-9 | 5th | BSC Tournament |
| 2015-16 | 21-10 | 14-4 | 1st | BSC Champions; WNIT 1st Round (Utah) |
| 2016-17 | 25-7 | 15-3 | 1st | BSC Champions- NCAA 1st Round (Washington) |
| 2017-18 | 16-15 | 9-9 | 7th | BSC Tournament |
| 2018-19 | 16-15 | 11-9 | 5th | BSC Tournament |
| 2019-20 | 25-6 | 19-1 | 1st | BSC Champions - Covid-19; no NCAA Tournament |
| 2020-21 | 17-7 | 13-3 | 3rd | BSC Tournament |
| 2021-22 | 22-13 | 14-6 | 2nd | BSC Champions- NCAA 1st Round (Stanford) |
| 2022-23 | 20-13 | 13-5 | 1st | BSC Regular Season Co-Champions |
| 2023-24 | 17-16 | 10-8 | 4th | BSC Tournament |
| 2024-25 | 30-4 | 17-1 | 1st | BSC Champions; NCAA 1st Round (Ohio State) |
| 2025-26 | 27-8 | 16-2 | 2nd | BSC Tournament; WNIT 3rd Round (South Dakota) |
| Total | 386-261 | 240-130 | .597 Overall Winning Percentage |
