University of the Cumberlands Athletics

Coach Irvin enters her 21st year as head coach of the Patriots. Irvin is a native of Laurel County where she lettered four years on the basketball team at Laurel County High School and played on the 1987 Laurel County State Championship team. She was inducted into the Laurel County Hall of Fame in 2001 for her outstanding accomplishments.

Irvin came to Cumberlands after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Rio Grande. Coach Irvin earned her degree from Cumberlands in 1994 in Business Administration and Secondary Education and has also completed her Masters of Education degree from Cumberlands as well. She was inducted into the University of the Cumberlands Phi Beta Lambda Hall of Fame.

While attending Cumberlands, she was a four-year letterman for the Patriots. Coach Irvin's list of accolades includes Cumberlands career records in assists (734 in 124 games) and 3 point shooting percentage (.375 or 153/408) and three years as captain at Cumberlands. Irvin is a member of the Cumberlands' 1,000 Point Club, the 10th All-Time leading scorer, and was a member of the Mid-South All-Region Team and KIAC All-Conference Team. In recognition of her outstanding athletic achievements, Cumberlands recognized Irvin by inducting her into the 2007 Athletic Alumni Hall of Fame.


Since her debut in 1997 at Cumberlands, Irvin has led the Patriots to eleven 20-win seasons and 12 National Tournament appearances. In addition, her teams have been ranked among the top ten in the nation. In thirteen years, Coach Irvin has coached 35 Mid-South Conference All-Conference recipients, 18 Mid-South Conference Honorable Mention honorees, 72 Mid-South Conference Academic All-Conference students, 1 Mid-South Conference Freshmen of the Year, 1 Mid-South Player of the Year, 1 Mid-South Champions of Character Award winner, 1 WBCA All-American, 8 WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, 26 NAIA Academic All-Americans, 9 NAIA All-Americans, 11 NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans, and 1 NAIA All-Tournament Team member. 

Irvin also earned the MSC Coach of the Year Award during the 2011-2012 season.