Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, better known as Coach Yo, only cares about one single thing when it comes to women’s college basketball— winning. Thus, when an agent called her to discuss NIL and admitted that his or her players only care about money, she hung up the phone.
Don’t waste her time with that line of thinking!
When Name, Image and Likeness was first introduced on July 1, 2021, it was to provide student-athletes with the opportunity to get paid in exchange for brand deals and partnerships. They were finally allowed to promote a local coffee shop on social media, speak at a local booster club, or sign a shoe deal with Nike. The list goes on. As we know now, that is not what it has become.
NIL in its current form creates a system that can only be defined as unregulated free agency. Athletes are getting paid to play at a specific school. They are able to negotiate a new deal at the end of every season and/or enter the transfer portal to get paid more money to play somewhere else.
Coach Yo does not subscribe to that line of thinking. Money does not matter if you want to win.
To be clear, that is not to say that her women’s college basketball players do not get paid. Ole Miss has one of the best and most well-funded NIL collectives in the entire country. There is money to be made as a student-athlete in Oxford.
However, Coach Yo is not interested in athletes who are only focused on finances.
And listen am I ALL in for players being paid. But you average 5ppg and asking for any money other than the basics or minimum is wild to me! How these young ppl going to make it in the real world ?
— @YolettMcCuin / X
She worked hard to get where she is and she wants her players to do the same.
When I started this coaching journey I made $800 a month. Took a pay cut to become a head coach 30k. I’m glad money wasn’t and still isn’t the motivation for me! Adults need to still teach this. Sad what I’m hearing on some of these calls. Character still matters!
— @YolettMcCuin / X
Although March Madness is still a few days away, coaches are forced to assemble their roster for next season before the current season ends. It is an unfortunate system but no program is exempt.
So Coach Yo is working tirelessly to prepare for 2025-26 and the current NCAA Tournament at the same time. She was on the phone with an agent in between game prep on Monday to discuss next year. The call did not last long.
The agent told her that her players do not care if they win because they just want to get paid. Coach Yo did not continue further with that conversation.
I hate an agent tell me yesterday “coach all my kids care about is the money. Winning doesn’t matter 😫” my goodness! I got off that phone so quick!
— @YolettMcCuin / X
When asked how she deals with a player of this mindset, Coach Yo simply said, “I don’t.” The seventh-year head coach at Ole Miss would rather let those kinds of players play somewhere else. Even if they end up at another program in the SEC. It doesn’t matter.
Coach Yo is a winner. She wants players who subscribe to the same line of thinking. Money comes with success and success comes with winning. Don’t waste her time if you (or the players you represent) don’t want to win!