Hot Take: Coach Yolett "Yo" McPhee-McCuin, Ole Miss Women's Basketball Coach, on March Madness

In this hot take, Amira Rose Davis talks with Coach Yolett "Yo" McPhee-McCuin, head coach of Ole Miss women's basketball team. They discuss her team's incredible turnaround in the last few seasons, coaching in the SEC, how she's preparing for March Madness and her mantra #noceilings.

This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network.

Transcript

Amira: Hey flamethrowers, Amira here with another Burn It All Down hot take. Today, I talked to coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, head coach of Ole Miss women's basketball. Coach Yo has taken a program that won zero games in the SEC two years ago to being a fourth seed in the conference this year. We talk about coaching Ole Miss basketball, the season she's had, the turnaround, March Madness predictions, plus the meaning of her mantra #NoCeilings. Coach Yo is the first Black woman to head up this program, and one of the five Black women coaches in the SEC – you know, of course we get into all of that too. So check out my interview with Coach Yo. 

Hey flamethrowers, Amira here, and I'm here with Coach Yo to break down or preview the excitement about March Madness, which we can officially call March Madness this year, because [laughs] it's finally a branding thing that applies to women. So look, a new dawn, a new day, perhaps. Coach Yo, it's a pleasure to have you on Burn It All Down.

Yolett: It's a pleasure to be here. Like, I'm pumped about this. You're my only podcast that I'm doing today, even after getting a bunch of requests. I just did some research on what you all stand for, and I'm totally here for it.

Amira: I love it. Well, first and foremost, congratulations on an amazing season. You know, I say spite fuels me a lot, when people doubt me it fuels me a lot. [Yolett laughs] And to see what you've been doing at Ole Miss kinda makes me feel that way. How has it been for you this season? 

Yolett: It's been incredible, you know, like you said, there are a lot of things that fuel me. Just coming up, always having to prove people wrong. You know, that's something that is still playing out constantly on the back of my mind. At the same time, this year it was also proving people right, you know? I have a lot of people that believed in me and what I'm doing, like my husband, my family, my close friends, and I wanted to prove them right as well. 

Amira: Yes, absolutely. I love that. So, one of the pieces I wrote in the fall was actually about Black women coaches in the SEC, and one of the parts of that piece is like, well, with everybody in the same conference, it can also be hard because you're always going up against each other and competing. And I was like, no, I get that point, right? But at the same time, if anybody has witnessed the bond that y'all share and the way you big up each other…I mean, I saw the support everybody had when Coach Elzy won that tourney like last week. So, what has it meant for you to be coaching in this conference in particular? 

Yolett: Yeah. I mean, you're spot on, you know, Dawn and I was on phone this morning just talking about, you know, where we've come and what we're doing as Black women in the SEC, but also just in women's basketball in general. And one thing that I'm proud of being a part of, being in the SEC, is that SEC is always ahead of the game with everything. Like, we're diverse, we're young, we have experience And the ADs in the SEC are unapologetically hiring people that look like their players in the women's basketball game. And that matters. You know, at one point it was seven of us. I have a picture up to my office with all seven of us that were in the SEC, and now there's four, but we're killing it. Three of us, we were in the final four of the SEC championships, you know? 

I just think there's a new way. This happened about 15 years ago and we fell short, and there was an uprising of hiring Black women, but we did not do what we needed to do in that time for a bunch of different reasons. But we've learned from those things, right? And so now we've gotten another opportunity and we're serious about it. You know, we are moving forward with the whole notion that we're more than a recruiter. We can coach, we’re CEOs, we are normalizing Black excellence in women's basketball, and I’m here for it and glad to be a part of it.

Amira: Absolutely. One of the things I talk about a lot is, like, it's also about retention, because like you said, seven to four, like, we have to pay attention to that. 

Yolett: The five of us.

Amira: Five, right. But one of the big things of course with that is looking at the pipeline, looking at the opportunity for players, like you said. And I think that even transforming what it means to be like a strategic thinker, right? So, I love to see like Coach Elzy mic'd up, drawing out a play, to say we are strategic thinkers of the game too. And I love that from y'all. So I want to talk about your team, because your team, of course, fourth seed in the SEC. A lot of people didn't think you'd be there, but you were, and you were ballin’ and progressing in the tournament. Of course, Shakira Austin bet on herself when she left from Maryland and came down to Oxford. But also, you have some ballers on that team. What has been so special about this group that you're coaching this year? 

Yolett: Well, we have a healthy mix, you know, I don't think people realize that last year we were a very young team. So, we had Kira who’s new, and then a bunch of freshmen. [laughs] And one or two juniors. This year, we have a couple of seniors, we have some experience, those freshmen turn into sophomores. And so our whole team wanted to get to the NCAA tournament. And I know I made a bold statement to start the season and I said it is NCAA tournament or bust, as far as I'm concerned. I knew what that meant, as a Black woman, that pressure on me to have success. That put pressure on my team, that put pressure on my staff, but I just believed, and sometimes your dreams gotta scare you. It was a large hill to climb because we hadn't done it in 15 years. So, that means it's not easy, because if it was someone would have done it. And so my team wanted that. We all wanted it. And so today is a really special day for us. 

Amira: Yeah. Look at y’all now. We're recording this the morning of selection Sunday. I can’t even…The atmosphere must be wild for y'all. [laughs]

Yolett: It’s gonna be crazy this evening. Like, we have to practice just to temper our excitement, [Amira laughs] and then they'll have a little downtime, and then it's showtime, the doors open up. Well, I have a dinner at 5:30, the doors open up at 6. We’ll be ready to go.

Amira: Awesome. Oh, I am so excited for y'all. So, when you look at the SEC tournament, which, you know, I always say – and it's not just because Lexi plays in the SEC, but like, SEC ball is just different, okay? It's just different. And I think it's one of the hardest conferences to come out of. I think it prepares you very well for the gruel that is March, because the SEC tourney is just as wild. What are you looking at when you're thinking of the postseason, when you look back to Nashville last weekend, but also as you look forward to March? What is the lay of the land? Do you have your eye on people? Are you focused more on your team? How do you prepare for the runs you have to make here?

Yolett: Well, right now, I'm just really focused on our team, you know? Being healthy, us making sure we're staying sharp, really focusing on the things that we think that we need to keep sharp and improve on. So we’re spending a lot of time with that. As far as everyone's been asking me, like, where do you want to go? Who do you want to play? I don't care. 

Amira: Whatever they draw! [laughs]

Yolett: And at a high level. That's our model. Like, we’re excited to be a part of this whole family, which is March Madness, and we're ready to do what we do best. And that’s play ball. We think we have an exciting brand of basketball that we play, and we're ready to show the world what Ole Miss is about.

Amira: I love that. I love especially that you're putting on for Ole Miss. I didn't want to let this end without asking you about no ceilings. Can you tell the people what no ceilings means to you, and what work you try to do with it?

Yolett: Yeah, no doubt. No ceilings means that, you know, I just think women are always told what they can do and how far they can go. And no ceilings came from that. No ceilings really came from one of my players asking me what my motto would be when I became a head coach. I was an assistant when no ceilings was thought of. And at the time I was like, yo, she got this from Lil Wayne, [Amira laughs] I can’t take this. So she said, nah, coach, no ceilings…Her name is Nikki Dixon. She said, I think you should go with no ceilings because every time we think we did something, you tell us there's more that we can do. You know, you tell us not to settle. And that meant something to me. And that's what it means today. Like, no matter what people try to tell you, and it can be guys too, in life. Like, don't put a ceiling on where you can go and what you could accomplish. All you need is faith. All you need is being around the right people, and you can accomplish whatever it is that you want to accomplish. That's what no ceilings means. 

Amira: Absolutely. And I mean, I think you're embodying that. It certainly resonates with me. It resonates with a whole bunch of people. I also just think that the presence you have is palpable. Like, we're watching on the outside of it. When I see you like showing up when your kid's about to go to surgery, what I see, you know, just how you put on for everybody else, the way that you cheer for your fellow SEC coaches, there is just such an energy coming out of Oxford right now that is just dope to watch. We wish you all the best. Oh – and I just saw you just got a Peloton!

Yolett: Yeah! 

Amira: Welcome to the cult. [laughs]

Yolett: I am getting ready to step in. And I was teasing Dawn this morning, I said, since you believe in the treadmill so much, go ahead and send me a treadmill. And she goes, yo, just getting used to the bike first. [laughter]

Amira: The tread is serious though! I was like that. I think the first…Season one of the pandemic, I got the bike like everybody did, and I feel like it was three months later we got the tread. And I was just like, this is the best thing on earth. [laughs] It’s so bad. 

Yolett: I'm not here for the whole running, but she said that you can walk on it.

Amira: No, the hikes, I'm trying to tell you. It's not even the running part, becauseI had a leg surgery in April, so I've been recovering, so I haven't been able to run like that, but the hikes are serious. 

Yolett: That might be my next venture.

Amira: Nah, like, hit me up after you do that, because lemme tell you about these hikes! [laughs] But no, I'm excited about all that, because everybody knows I'm like an unofficial Peloton ambassador. This is my side hustle for them, LOL. But anyways, I'm really excited to see what y'all do. I hope y’all have the best selection Sunday when you turn up.

Yolett: Thank you so much. 

Amira: Now I'm just thinking about food and Oxford! I have to come back down to the square.

Yolett: You gotta pull up on us, I'm telling you.

Amira: I know. I think right before the shutdown I was in Oxford giving a talk, and my favorite spot on the square there with a good fried okra I had…It’s the one with the red paper… 

Yolett: Is it Bouré? Is it Ajax?

Amira: I think it's that. I think it might be that one. Anyways, so I'll have to come back down, now we're opening up a little bit. 

Yolett: Next time. 

Amira: I will, I will. Congratulations to all that you have done. We will be watching and cheering for you. Happy selection Sunday. And thanks for joining Burn It All Down.

Yolett: No doubt.