(DES MOINES, Iowa) — Three-time National Coach of the Year Finalist and 2024 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year Jennie Baranczyk will deliver the commencement speech to the Mercy College class of 2026 on April 24 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center Grand Ballroom.
Baranczyk is currently the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma where she has coached for five years. In her tenure at Oklahoma, she has guided the program to four consecutive NCAA tournaments, a 2025 Sweet 16 appearance, and two conference championships.
Although she now resides in Oklahoma, Baranczyk’s Iowa roots run deep. A graduate of Dowling Catholic High School, she led her team to two state championships before continuing her standout collegiate career at the University of Iowa from 2000 to 2004, where she earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor. She later returned to central Iowa to serve nine seasons as head coach at Drake University, further cementing her legacy in the state’s basketball community.
Her connection to Mercy College, however, is deeply personal. Baranczyk is the daughter of Joyce and Terry Lillis, whose transformational $2.5 million gift launched the Legacy of Faith Campaign for the Joyce E. Lillis School of Nursing. Through her family’s commitment to Catholic education and healthcare workforce development, Baranczyk has witnessed firsthand the impact Mercy College has on preparing compassionate, mission-driven healthcare leaders.
“Excellence, service, and leadership are values that define both Coach Baranczyk’s career and the Mercy College experience,” said Mercy College President, Dr. Adreain Henry, OD, EdD, MBA. “Her story reflects the same dedication to purpose and perseverance that we see in our graduates, and we can’t wait for her to share this passion with our graduates at commencement.”
To learn more about Mercy College’s 2026 Commencement Ceremony, visit MCHS.edu/Commencement.
