Sherri Coale
Sherri Coale Retires After 25 Years at The University of Oklahoma
Sherri Coale
Keynote Speaker
Hall of Fame Coach; Writer; Believer; Best-selling Amazon Author
From the high school sideline to the bright lights of major college basketball, Sherri Coale has a unique success story. In her twenty-five year career at the University of Oklahoma, she led her teams to 3 final fours, 19 straight NCAA tournament appearances, and multiple Big 12 championships. The Hall of Fame coach is a masterful storyteller and facilitator who has a gift for meeting people where they are and helping them get to where they want to go.
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Sherri Coale's speaking fee: Under $25,000
Sherri Coale is a native Oklahoman. She grew up about thirty miles to the right side of the Red River in a small rural town where she fell in love with reading, writing and basketball— not necessarily in that order. After a highly successful collegiate playing career at Oklahoma Christian University, she hung up her high tops, moving from the playing court to the sideline as she began what would become a Hall of Fame career as a Women’s Basketball Coach.
After seven years and two state championships as the head coach at Norman High School, Sherri was hired to rebuild the women’s basketball program at the University of Oklahoma. During her 25-year career there, she led the Sooners to 19 straight NCAA tournament appearances, 10 conference championships, and three Final Fours.
During her illustrious career at Oklahoma, in addition to coaching the Sooners, Coale participated in USA Basketball as an assistant coach in the 2001 World University games and as head coach in 2013 where her USA squad defeated Russia on their home court to bring home the gold.
Sherri has been recognized across the country for her career contributions to women’s basketball. She is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Christian Hall of Fame, and the FCA Circle of Champions.
In 2022, Sherri released her first book, an Amazon bestseller, Rooted to Rise: The Redwood Legacies of Life-Anchoring People. She pens a weekly blog, A Weigh of Life, which can be found on her website, SherriCoale.comIn 2025, she released The Compost File: Stories for the Strivers in Us All, a compelling new work that continues her exploration of growth, resilience, and the power of reflection.
In addition to writing and speaking, Sherri is also a highly respected leadership consultant. She is a member of Ryan Hawk’s Learning Leader Team, a leadership development group who does personalized coaching and strategic workshops designed to equip leaders with the practical tools they need to succeed in any environment.
Sherri Coale is an author, a master motivator, an engaging speaker, a gifted writer, and a keen observer of everyday life.
Featured Videos
Sherri Coale
Sherri Coale Speaking Reel
Sherri Coale
Sherri Coale on Making “Difference Making” Choices
Sherri Coale
Sherri Coale on What’s Important to Leaders
Sherri Coale
Sherri Coale on Learning Within Discomfort
Sherri Coale
Sherri Coale Retires After 25 Years at The University of Oklahoma
Sherri Coale’s Speech Topics
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What Makes Your Heart Sing – unfolding into a life that fits
The world is a noisy place. Voices we do and do not recognize clamor with all kinds of opinions about what we should
and shouldn’t do, what we should and shouldn’t love, how we should and shouldn’t live. But our happy places and the
maps that guide us there are as unique as the prints of our fingers. “What Makes Your Heart Sing?” is a prescient
reminder to listen closely to ourselves.
It’s never too early or too late to follow our passion. Regardless of limitations, possibilities are ever new.
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What Makes a Team Work – the secret sauce of teams that outperform
Ideas matter. Concepts matter. Plans of action matter. But people always matter more.
Hall of Fame Coach Sherri Coale spent over three decades building teams that consistently outperformed their competition.
Teams work when they are built and fueled purposefully, when individual roles, goals, and objectives are clearly defined, and when group dynamics are prioritized. Collaborative environments that are intentionally constructed and maintained are the secret sauce of elite, healthy organizations.
Sherri uses the power of story to demonstrate what goes into creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
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Stuck Happens – the art of turning obstacles into catalysts.
Sometimes we can sense stuck coming. Like water in the bathtub as it gets sucked toward the drain, we can feel it
ominously swooping in. Other times, it just comes out of left field and entombs us while we are minding our own
business—being where we’re supposed to be, doing what we’re supposed to be doing. We look up one day, and we’re
frozen. Stuck in a body we don’t like, or a life we don’t want, or a quagmire we can’t seem to wriggle free from.
In this inspiring conversation, Sherri challenges the “stuck” to use what has them hemmed in to free themselves.
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In Spite of Everything, Yes, Let’s… – A conversation about Confidence, Connection, and Calling
‘In Spite of Everything…’ is a dynamic exploration of how narratives, relationships, and purpose shape both our leadership and our lives. Through story and reflection, Sherri Coale encourages women to get out of their own way, lift one another up, and discover a journey that is authentic and fulfilling. In this compelling session, we invite women to explore the call to lead—and to live—with clarity, collaboration, and conviction.
Works by Sherri Coale
Sherri Coale Topics & Types
- Authors
- Basketball Motivational Speakers
- Christian Speakers
- Coach Speakers
- Education Speakers
- High Energy Speakers
- Keynote Speakers
- Leadership Speakers
- Motivational Speakers
- Overcoming Adversity Speakers
- Peak Performance Speakers
- Personal Growth Speakers
- Religious Speakers
- Resilience Speakers
- Spiritual Motivational Speakers
- Sports Speakers
- Storytelling Speakers
- Teamwork Speakers
- Thought-Provoking Speakers
- Virtual Speakers
- Women Speakers
- Women Leadership Speakers
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