HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Southern Miss Athletics announced former women’s basketball coach Joye Lee-McNelis has died.

We are saddened to announce the passing of Lady Eagle legend, Coach Joye Lee-McNelis.

Southern Miss Athletics

Lee-McNelis retired at the end of the 2024-25 season. She spent 34 seasons as a Division I head coach at Memphis and Southern Miss. She was a 1997 inductee into the Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame, the 2024 Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award winner and was inducted into the Southern Miss Legends Club.

On May 14, 2004, Lee-McNelis accepted the job as the head coach of the Southern Miss Lady Eagles. Her homecoming was nearly 20 years in the making as she took over as the fourth head coach in program history.

In 34 seasons as a Division I head coach, Lee-McNelis made 14 postseason appearances, won two Coach of the Year titles, had 45 players named to all-conference lists, two players named player of the year and sent 13 former players to the professional ranks. She retired as one of 61 coaches in the history of women’s basketball to win more than 550 games.