Dennis Gates is the head coach of the University of Missouri’s men’s basketball team. He was appointed as the program’s 20th head coach on March 22, 2022.
In his first season (2022-2023), Gates led the Tigers to a 25-10 record, earning a spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This performance earned him a contract extension, increasing his annual salary to $4 million.
The 2024-2025 season saw the Tigers finish with a 22-11 record, including a 10-8 mark in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They secured a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament but were upset by No. 11 seed Drake in the first round, concluding their season.
Prior to joining Missouri, Gates served as the head coach at Cleveland State University from 2019 to 2022, where he earned Horizon League Coach of the Year honors twice. He also held assistant coaching positions at Florida State University, Marquette University, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Nevada.
In addition to men’s basketball, the University of Missouri recently appointed Kellie Harper as the head coach of the women’s basketball team. Harper, a former Tennessee player and coach, brings over 20 years of head coaching experience, including a successful tenure at Missouri State University, where she led the team to the Sweet 16 in 2019.