Joye Lee-McNelis Posthumously inducted into Conference USA Hall of Fame

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Former Southern Miss women’s basketball head coach Joye Lee-McNelis has been posthumously inducted into the Conference USA Hall of Fame as one of five members of the 2026 class. In her 27 years as a head coach in Conference USA at Memphis and Southern Miss, McNelis accumulated 231 all-time conference wins, a mark that still stands as the most in league history by any men’s or women’s basketball coach.

The C-USA Hall of Fame is the latest in a long line of hall of fame honors for the late McNelis, who passed on June 24, 2025, following her eight-year battle against stage four lung cancer. She was inducted into the Southern Miss M-Club Alumni Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame in 2025. She was twice named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2017 and collected six total championships under the C-USA banner.

McNelis helped establish Conference USA in more ways than one. A member of the league for 27 seasons, she first joined the league at its founding as a fifth-year head coach at Memphis State. Her Lady Tigers hoisted four total trophies in the league’s first three seasons after winning two regular season and two tournament championships. Memphis also claimed six consecutive division titles in the early goings of the league format.

After returning to her alma mater in 2004, McNelis rebuilt Southern Miss to a contender for the C-USA title. Her Lady Eagles advanced to the league championship game four times in her 18 seasons competing in Conference USA. Thirteen of her former players played professionally and 11 of her teams made the postseason.

All told, she coached two Conference USA Players of the Year; two C-USA Tournament MVPs; three defensive players of the year; two sixth women of the year; one freshman of the year; three newcomers of the year; 35 All-Conference USA selections; 15 First Team selections; 10 Second Team Selections; nine Third Team selections; one honorable mention selection; 13 All-Freshman Team selections; five All-Defensive Team selections; six All-Academic Team selections; 42 Players of the Week; 23 Freshman of the Week and 13 All-Tournament Team members.

A true champion of Conference USA on and off the court, she served as a representative for the conference on the national stage. She was also captain of the league’s coaches and worked closely with conference leadership to grow the league and game of women’s basketball. At the time of Southern Miss’ departure from Conference USA, she led all basketball coaches, both men’s and women’s, with 231 wins and 27 seasons coached in Conference USA.

McNelis is joined by fellow inductees xx. The 2026 C-USA Hall of Fame class is the eighth class honoring former C-USA legends. McNelis is the second former Southern Miss athlete or coach to join the group alongside former Golden Eagle pitcher Nick Sandlin (class of 2025).

The league’s Hall of Fame Committee selects the nominees, and the league’s Athletics Directors serve as the voting panel for the C-USA Hall of Fame. The inaugural class was introduced in 2019 with 20 student-athletes, three coaches and two administrators. Current and future C-USA Hall of Fame class size will be a minimum of one inductee and a maximum of five inductees per year.

2026 Conference USA Hall of Fame Inductees

Jon Elmore, Marshall (Men’s Basketball, 2015-19)
Rachel Folden, Marshall (Softball, 2006-08)
Joye Lee-McNelis, Memphis/Southern Miss (Women’s Basketball Head Coach, 1995-22)
Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic (Football, 2016-18)
Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee (Football, 2014-18)