Michele Woods-Baxter, or “Coach B,” was promoted to associate head coach in May of 2018, and enters her 18th season on the South Florida coaching staff during the 2025-26 campaign. Woods-Baxter came to South Florida in August of 2008 as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate coach in 2013. She has been a major part of nine 20-win seasons, 13 postseason appearances, and eight NCAA Tournament appearances with the Bulls.
Woods-Baxter is responsible for working with the Bulls’ wing players and plays a vital part in the development of South Florida’s players as a whole. Over the past nine years, Woods-Baxter has worked one-on-one with Courtney Williams, the program’s first All-American, as well as All-America honorees Kitija Laksa and Maria Jespersen.
She continued that trend during the 2020-21 campaign, the most successful in the program’s history, Woods-Baxter had a major impact on the team’s success. Of the five players that earned All-Conference honors in The American, three were wing players under the guidance of Woods-Baxter. Elena Tsineke and Sydni Harvey earned First Team and Third Team honors, respectively, while Maria Alvarez was tabbed The American, Co-Sixth Player of the Year. In addition, Harvey was tabbed the American Athletic Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player and named to the all-tournament team along with Tsineke. At the conclusion of the season – for the second-straight year – Tsineke and Harvey found themselves one-two on the stat sheet, averaging 12.4 and 11.8 points per game, respectively, while Pinzan was third in scoring, averaging 10.3 points and a conference-best, 6.5 assists per contest.
During the 2021-22 campaign, the Woods-Baxter and Tsineke duo continued to flourish as Tsineke was named to the Preseason Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award Watch List given to the top shooting guard in the nation. After averaging 14.3 points per game on the year – tops on the team and third in the conference – Tsineke earned First Team All-American Athletic Conference honors and was named to The American All-Tournament Team.
Known for her international flavor, Woods-Baxter is at the epicenter of the Bulls’ international recruiting efforts. South Florida has brought in seven five-star international recruits to Tampa since 2014.
Since joining the staff in 2008, the Bulls have made 12 postseason appearances in 14 seasons, including winning the 2009 Women’s National Invitation Tournament championship, defeating Kansas in historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse, 75-71. South Florida was well on its way to an 11th postseason tournament bid in 12 seasons during the 2019-20 campaign – and its 16th in 17 seasons – when the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bulls re-grouped for the 2020-21 campaign, one that went down in the program’s history books. South Florida won its first-ever American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and rose to its highest ranking in team history, rising to No. 12 in the Feb. 15 Associated Press Poll.
Woods-Baxter worked with All-Region wings in Andrea Smith (2010-13) and Courtney Williams (2012-16), helping improve the skills of two of South Florida’s most prolific scorers. Williams led the American Conference in scoring (20.3 ppg) and set a South Florida single-season scoring mark with 710 points in 2014-15 while earning Honorable Mention All-American honors. Woods-Baxter worked with Kitija Laksa to grow the depth of her game during her sophomore year and watched as Laksa set the new South Florida sophomore scoring record.
Woods-Baxter came to South Florida after spending eight years at Monmouth University in New Jersey including her final three-and-a-half seasons as head coach.
Woods-Baxter took over the reins on the Hawks’ program in January of 2005 after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for four years. Monmouth immediately saw results with the Hawks posting a 17-11 record (8-4 under Woods-Baxter) during that 2004-05 season while also recording their best home record since the 1985-86 season (12-2) and a perfect 9-0 slate at home against Northeast Conference (NEC) foes.
Woods-Baxter would then lead the Hawks to back-to-back winning seasons from 2005-07, including posting an 18-13 record during 2006-07. Those 18 wins equaled the most wins in a season since the 1987-88 campaign. Under her tutelage as head coach, Monmouth advanced to the NEC Tournament semifinal game in 2006-07 and 2007-08. In addition, the Hawks also enjoyed seven consecutive (2000-07) winning seasons and a top-four finish in the NEC in seven out of her eight seasons on the staff at Monmouth.
Prior to arriving at Monmouth, Woods-Baxter served as associate head coach at Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College (TCC) for two seasons (1998-2000). At Tallahassee, she was involved in all aspects of recruiting and scouting. During her two-year stay, the Eagles compiled a 50-19 record and finished second in the state both seasons. The squad also finished as Panhandle Conference runner-up in 1999 and 2000.
Woods-Baxter got her start in coaching basketball serving as assistant boys’ coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for seven seasons (1989-96).
At Aquinas, she was responsible for both the freshmen and junior varsity programs (1989-92) and also assisted the varsity during that time. She also maintained individual weight and skill development programs during the offseason and served as head coach for all offseason leagues and tournaments, which included such prestigious events as the Adidas Summer Basketball Championships held in Miami and the Nike Summer League Championships in Fort Lauderdale.
Woods-Baxter also served as head coach of the Gold Coast Raiders, an AAU boys U17 program, for seven years. While heading up that team, 20 players moved on to play collegiate basketball.
A native of Oxford, Mich., Woods-Baxter graduated from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and was a member of the Cardinals’ volleyball squad. She resides in Tampa with her husband, Jim, South Florida’s former director of basketball operations.
