Jeff Zinn enters his fifth season as head coach of the SWOSU Women's Basketball program in 2026-27 after being named the fifth head coach in program history on May 25, 2022.
Through four seasons at SWOSU, Zinn has coached six All-Great American Conference selections and guided the Lady Bulldogs to two postseason appearances, highlighted by a run to the GAC Tournament championship game in 2024 after consecutive wins over nationally ranked conference opponents.
The Lady Bulldogs have developed a strong defensive identity in recent seasons under Zinn. SWOSU ranked 12th in NCAA Division II with a +6.38 turnover margin in 2024-25 before leading the GAC in both blocked shots and steals per game in 2025-26.
Landry Allen highlighted that defensive success in 2025-26, becoming the first player in GAC history to earn Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors in the same season while also earning Second Team All-GAC recognition. Allen set both SWOSU and GAC records with 13 blocks in a single game and 119 for the season, ranked second in NCAA Division II with 4.8 blocks per game and earned GAC Defensive Player of the Week honors 10 times.
Prior to SWOSU, Zinn brought 28 years of successful Oklahoma high school head coaching experience to Weatherford, compiling a 563-247 career record. His accomplishments earned him induction into the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association (OGBCA) Hall of Fame in 2023.
Zinn spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant women's basketball coach at NCAA Division I Oral Roberts University following his transition from the high school ranks.
Prior to Oral Roberts, Zinn spent 10 seasons at Anadarko High School from 2011-21, including a 76-7 record over his final three seasons. He led Anadarko to state championships in 2012 and 2019 and nine state tournament appearances in 10 seasons. His 2019-20 team finished 29-1 and ranked No. 1 in Class 4A before the remainder of the season was canceled due to COVID-19.
During his time at Anadarko, Zinn earned numerous coaching honors, including NFHS State Coach of the Year in 2021, NFHS National Sectional Coach of the Year in 2020, Daily Oklahoman Coach of the Year in 2019 and OGBCA State Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2019.
Prior to Anadarko, Zinn coached at Newkirk High School, where the Tigers finished as the state runner-up in 2009 and reached the state quarterfinals in 2010. He began his head coaching career at Blanchard High School, earning Canadian Valley Coach of the Year honors in 1998 and 2001.
A native of Buffalo, Oklahoma, Zinn earned his bachelor's degree in Education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 1990 and master's degree in Administration from East Central University in 1998. He has four children, Averi, Libbi, Layni and Taylor, and a granddaughter, Amay.
Â
THE ZINN FILE:
Coaching Career
2022-present: SWOSU (Head Coach)
2021-22: Oral Roberts (Assistant Coach)
2011-21: Anadarko HS (Head Coach)
2007-11: Newkirk HS (Head Coach)
1994-07: Blanchard HS (Head Coach)
1990-93: Guymon HS (Assistant Coach)
Â
Playing Career
1988: Northwestern Oklahoma State
1986: Panhandle State
1985: Northern Oklahoma College
Education
East Central University
     M.A. Education in Public School Administration, 1998
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
     B.A. Business Administration, 1990
Â
