Pepperdine Announces Extension for Women’s Basketball Head Coach Katie Faulkner
5/4/2026 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine University and head women's basketball coach Katie Faulkner have agreed to a contract extension through 2031, announced today.
Faulkner helped build the Waves into one of the most improved teams in the country this past season, as the Waves finished 21-13 overall and 10-8 in conference play. The Waves earned a postseason berth in the WNIT, winning a pair of games to reach the Super Sixteen for the second time in program history.
"Coach Faulkner has done an outstanding job leading our women's basketball program with passion and purpose," said Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner. "In addition to the on-court success, Katie has built a culture that reflects the core values of Pepperdine, focused on Christian values, academic excellence, student-athlete development and community. We are thrilled for the bright future of Pepperdine Women's Basketball with Katie at the helm."
"I'm genuinely grateful to our administration, university, and community for their steady belief in what we are building here in Malibu," Faulkner said. "I'm proud of the standard we've set for this program, and am fired up to keep building on that momentum. Time to go to work."
Pepperdine won a home postseason game for the first time in program history this past season, defeating both UC Davis and Southern Utah in Malibu to advance in the WNIT. Beginning the season as one of two teams in the country with 100% roster turnover, Faulkner increased the program's NET ranking from 253 to 132, the fourth largest turnaround in the nation.
Pepperdine reached 20 wins for the third time in the past 20 seasons in 2025-26.
The Waves got off to a 9-3 start in 2025-26, marking the program's best start to a season in 45 years. Pepperdine was featured in the collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 rankings during the season, peaking at No. 21. Pepperdine's 10 wins in the WCC marked its most since the 2018-19 campaign.
Pepperdine was at the top of the conference in multiple key categories, being second in field goal percentage (.452), opponent field goal percentage (.386), three-point percentage (.344) and three-pointers made (252). The Waves were also 12th in the country with 29.0 defensive rebounds per game.
The Waves also saw an All-WCC First Team honoree for the first time in six years in Elli Guiney, who knocked down 72 threes, putting her second on Pepperdine's all-time single season list.
Faulkner had coaching stints at Washington, Oregon State, Wisconsin and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs prior to her arrival in Malibu ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Over her three seasons at the University of Washington just prior, Faulkner helped the Huskies go to the 2023 WNIT and the 2024 WBIT. The Huskies' run to the 2023 WNIT Final Four was the program's first postseason berth in six years; that season's 19-15 record also was the program's winningest season in six years.
A former standout student-athlete at Montana, Faulkner was a four-time All-Big Sky selection, the 2013 Big Sky Player of the Year and finished her career among the program's all-time leaders while helping lead the Lady Griz to two NCAA Tournament appearances.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Pepperdine women's basketball has made four NCAA postseason appearances in its history, having won the WCC regular-season four times and the WCC Tournament on three occasions. With six All-American selections in program history, the Waves have also seen success in the WNIT Tournament which included runs to the Sweet Sixteen in 2019 and 2026.
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