• 2023-24 Big West Champions
• 2024 NCAA Tournament
• 2022-23 Big West Regular Season Champions
• 2022 & 2023 WNIT Appearances
• 2020-21 Big West co-Coach of the Year
• UCI Women's Basketball's All-Time Winningest Head Coach
Tamara Inoue is in her 10th year at the helm of the UC Irvine women’s basketball program in 2025-26.
After taking over a team that had two winning seasons in 15 years, Inoue brought a renewed energy and mindset that paid off immediately. In her first year with her own recruits, the Anteaters had the second best turnaround in all of NCAA Division I. Since then, they have won a Big West tournament and regular season title, produced five 20-win campaigns and made four national postseason tournament appearances.
Last season, Inoue became the all-time winningest head coach in UCI women's basketball history. She eclipsed the school record with her 159th victory on February 27. The Anteaters went on to secure their fourth-straight 20-win campaign (21-10), finished second in the Big West standings (15-5), and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the fifth time in her nine seasons. For the third-straight year, UC Irvine was ranked among the top-15 in the nation in scoring defense as they finished 10th at 54.3 points allowed per game. Déja Lee and Hunter Hernandez claimed two of the six spots on the All-Big West First Team, while Summah Hanson was named the Best Sixth Player.
In 2023-24, Inoue’s squad won the program’s second Big West Championship and first in 29 years. The ‘Eaters earned a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and closed out the campaign with a 23-9 overall record (16-4 Big West). For the second year in a row, UCI was ranked in the final College Insider Women’s Mid-Major Poll (23rd) and was among the nation’s best in scoring defense (14th, 55.7 ppg). Déja Lee made history as UC Irvine’s first Big West Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba was also named the Big West Newcomer of the Year, while Diaba Konate was tabbed the league’s Best Defensive Player.
In 2022-23, the Anteaters went 25-7 overall and 16-2 in conference play. The campaign culminated with the program’s first Big West regular season championship and second-straight automatic bid to the WNIT where the ‘Eaters defeated San Diego State in the opening round. The historic season didn’t come easy as UCI, which was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, lost three starters to season-ending injuries in a six-week span. Under Inoue’s leadership, UC Irvine persevered, concluding the regular season with seven-straight wins to clinch the Big West title. They finished the year ranked 23rd in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Poll. The Anteaters set a handful of school records including overall wins (25), conference wins (16) and scoring defense. Their 53.2 points allowed per game ranked seventh in the nation.
In 2021-22, Inoue’s group went 21-12 (14-4 Big West), tying the previous school record for overall wins. The ‘Eaters advanced to the Big West championship game for the second year in a row and earned their first WNIT postseason berth. They led the league in both scoring offense (66.5 ppg) and scoring margin (+5.6), and set single-season school records in free throw percentage (76%) and 3-pointers made (224).
While playing a shortened season in the middle of a pandemic, Inoue continued to forge a path forward for the Anteaters, leading them to a 15-9 overall record and an 11-4 mark in league play in 2020-21. Those 11 wins tied for the conference lead, but UCI finished second in the regular-season standings based on win percentage. As the No. 2 seed, the ‘Eaters took care of business in the first two rounds of the Big West Championship, defeating UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly to reach the title game for the first time since 1997. Inoue was recognized for her efforts as she was named the 2020-21 Big West co-Coach of the Year, making her the second coach in program history to earn the honor.
The ‘Eaters tied for second in the 2019-20 Big West regular-season standings. At 9-7, it was the third-straight year they were at or above .500 in league play. Lauren Saiki established a single-season school record with 215 assists.
In 2018-19, Inoue guided the Anteaters to the third 20-win campaign in program history and first since 1984-85. They had their best start ever at 7-0. Their success did not go unnoticed as the ‘Eaters made their debut in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll and rose to as high as No. 15 in the nation. As a team, UCI finished among the top-25 in the nation in turnover margin (7th), turnovers forced (22nd) and steals (23rd). Individually, Andee Ritter broke the all-time school record in 3-pointers made and steals. She graduated as UC Irvine’s single-game (8), single-season (87) and career (202) leader in threes made.
In her second year as head coach, and first with her own recruits, Inoue led UC Irvine to an 18-14 overall record and its first national postseason appearance since 1995. The 18 victories more than doubled their win total from each of the previous three campaigns. The Anteaters also saw a 12.5 game improvement from 2016-17, tying for the second-best turnaround in all of NCAA Division I. UCI, which was picked eighth in the Big West Preseason Poll, placed third in the regular-season standings at 10-6. The ‘Eaters ended the year ranked first in the league and 13th in the nation with 11.1 steals per outing.
Overall, the Anteaters have received 27 All-Big West honors under Inoue’s watch, while her teams have set or tied single-season school records in wins (25), steals (356), scoring defense (53.2 ppg), field goals made (825), 3-point field goals made (224), 3-point field goals attempted (727) and free throw percentage (.760). Inoue’s student-athletes have also been successful in the classroom with 34 Big West All-Academic selections.
Inoue came to Irvine from New Mexico State where she was an integral member of the women's basketball staff from 2011-16. She spent her last two seasons as an associate head coach and also served as the interim Senior Woman Administrator in 2015-16.
During her tenure as an associate head coach, NM State made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, while capturing the Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles both years. The Aggies ended the 2015-16 campaign with a 26-5 overall record, tying the school record for single-season victories.
In 2014-15, Inoue helped New Mexico State to a 22-8 record and a 13-1 league mark. It was the first conference title for the Aggies in 20 years and the first-ever tournament championship for the program. NM State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for only the third time in program history and made its first appearance since 1988.
Inoue joined the New Mexico State staff after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Santa Clara University. Prior to that, she spent six years playing and coaching in Australia. Inoue's professional playing career was cut short due to injury, but following rehabilitation she returned to coach in Australia's Victorian Basketball League (VBL). Inoue earned VBL Coach of the Year honors in 2006-07 with the Nunawading Spectres. She also guided the Knox Raiders to a national championship the following season with a 27-1 record. In addition to her head coaching duties, Inoue helped run the Melbourne Roos club team, assisting in developing several NCAA Division I athletes who went on to play in the U.S.
Inoue has strong ties to the Orange County area and The Big West as she attended Laguna Hills High School and Long Beach State. She played at LBSU from 2000-02, where she was a two-time All-Big West honorable mention selection and led the league in assists as a senior (5.9 apg). In her first year, Inoue helped the Beach advance to the third round of the 2000 Women's National Invitation Tournament. She went on to graduate with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2002.
Inoue prepped at Laguna Hills High School, and was inducted into the Hawks' Hall of Fame in January 2017. She was a
USA Today honorable mention All-American as a senior after averaging 14.0 points per game. A two-time league MVP, Inoue set single-game school records for points (30), assists (12) and steals (12).
| Tamara Inoue's Head Coaching Ledger |
| Year |
School |
Overall Record |
Conf. Finish |
Big West Championships |
Postseason |
| 2024-25 |
UC Irvine |
21-10 |
15-5 (2nd) |
Semifinals |
--- |
| 2023-24 |
UC Irvine |
23-9 |
16-4 (2nd) |
Champions |
NCAA First Round |
| 2022-23 |
UC Irvine |
25-7 |
16-2 (1st) |
Quarterfinals |
WNIT Second Round |
| 2021-22 |
UC Irvine |
21-12 |
14-4 (2nd) |
Finals |
WNIT First Round |
| 2020-21 |
UC Irvine |
15-9 |
11-4 (2nd) |
Finals |
--- |
| 2019-20 |
UC Irvine |
13-18 |
9-7 (T2nd) |
Quarterfinals |
--- |
| 2018-19 |
UC Irvine |
20-11 |
8-8 (5th) |
Semifinals |
--- |
| 2017-18 |
UC Irvine |
18-14 |
10-6 (3rd) |
Quarterfinals |
WBI First Round |
| 2016-17 |
UC Irvine |
5-26 |
3-13 (8th) |
First Round |
--- |
| 9 Years |
|
161-116 (.581) |
102-53 (.658) |
|
|
