In 2005 Darin Grover took over as head women’s basketball coach at Southeastern Oklahoma State, becoming just the fourth head coach in the program’s history.
His 2019-20 squad earned the program its first Great American Conference championships, taking home hte regular season and tournament titles after posting a 22-7 record and earning a bid the NCAA Central Regional before the NCAA canceled the postseason due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That squad was led by Katie Webb who took home the league's Player of the Year award and moved all the way up to second on Southeastern's all-time career scoring list.
He was named the Great American Conference Coach of the Year following the 2014-15 season after leading his squad to a 20-10 record. That season featured three All-GAC selections, including first teamer Emily Williams who became the 11th player to join the 1,000 point club and the third to do it while playing for Grover.
In his time at the helm he has tallied a 225-185 mark and taken the squad from a 10 win team his first season to a foursome of 20-win seasons, doing so in the 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15, and 2019-20 seasons, as well as three trips to NCAA Regional Tournaments. He has amassed a 276-183 record over his coaching career.
Seven of his 13 season have been winning season and he has never won fewer than 10 games in a season.
In conference play between the Lone Star Conference and the GAC he has tallied a 148-116 mark, going 47-31 in the LSC before stepping into the GAC where he has gone 101-85.
Grover surpassed the 100-win mark with the school in his sixth year at SE in an 89-65 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce on Feb 21, 2011, and would pick up his 150th win helming the Storm to a 96-83 win at home over Henderson State on Feb. 7, 2015.
He reached his 200th overall career win with a win 76-64 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Feb. 14. 2013, and he would eclipse the 300-win plateau just under seven-years later with a 63-41 win over Southern Arkansas on Jan. 16, 2020.
Over his time at SE Grover’s teams have had 31 all-conference honorees, including eight first team selections and seven second team.
In addition to his Coach of the Year honor in 2015, he has coached Lone Star Conference North Division Newcomer of the year Destiny Brown who would also go on to earn All-South Central Region honors as well as Webb who took home GAC Player of the Year honors and earned All-American honors.
His teams have also been solid in the classroom where women’s basketball ranks near the top of the team GPA standings among SE’s programs and has placed more than 50 players on the All-Academic teams between the LSC and the GAC, with Staci Willis earning Academic Player of the Year honors in 2006 following his first year at the helm.
The Storm have been a force on its home court under Grover where they have compiled a 124-55 record between Bloomer Sullivan Gym and Bloomer Sullivan Arena which is winning at a 69.3 percent clip, with five seasons of 10 or more home wins and just one in which they finished under .500 with a 6-7 record.
Prior to coming to Southeastern, Grover spent three seasons at NEO in Miami, Okla., where he put together an 81.1 winning percentage as he led the Lady Norse to a 77-18 record and was named the Region II Junior College Coach of the Year.
In his time as head coach at NEO, his squad was ranked as high as No. 8 in the nation and won the Region II Championship in 2002-03, making him the youngest coach in NEO history to win a regional championship.
Before taking the helm as the head coach for the Lady Norse, Grover spent seven seasons an assistant coach during which time the program amassed a 177-52 record, while claiming two regional championships (2000 and 2002) and three Bi-State Conference championships (2000, 2001 and 2002). In 1999-2000, the Lady Norse finished fourth at the NJCAA National Tournament and in 2001-02 were NJCAA National Runners-up. He also coached five All-Americans and two WNBA draft picks in his time as an assistant.
A native of Miami, Okla., Grover earned an associate’s degree from NEO in 1992 after spending two seasons as manager for the men’s basketball team.
Following that he spent one season at The University of Tulsa as a manager for Tubby Smith before going on to receive his bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State in 1995. Grover later earned a master’s degree in health and human performance from Northeastern State in 2002.
Grover, wife Courtney, daughter Sydney and son Case, reside in Durant.
Overall Conf Postseason
2023-24 10-18 6-16
2022-23 7-20 5-17
2021-22 12-17 10-12 GAC Tournament
2020-21* 13-8 11-7 GAC Tournament
2019-20 22-7 16-6 GAC Tournament Champs, NCAA Central Regional
2018-19 14-13 12-10 GAC Tournament
2017-18 13-15 11-11 GAC Tournament
2016-17 17-10 15-7 GAC Tournament
2015-16 13-16 11-11 GAC Tournament
2014-15 20-10 12-8 GAC Tournament
2013-14 13-14 10-10 GAC Tournament
2012-13 10-17 8-12 GAC Tournament
2011-12 11-17 6-10 GAC Tournament
2010-11 20-8 10-4 LSC Tournament, NCAA SC Regional
2009-10 19-9 9-5 LSC Tournament
2008-09 21-9 11-3 LSC Tournament, NCAA SC Regional
2007-08 15-13 6-6 LSC Tournament
2006-07 17-10 7-5 LSC Tournament
2005-06 10-17 4-8
19 yrs 277-248 180-168
at NEO 77-18
TOTAL 354-266
* shortened season played in the spring semester due to Covid
