Hoyt believes you should surround yourself with people who want what’s best for you. “Leadership can be lonely at the top,” she adds, but she wouldn’t change it. “If someone is talking about you then you must be doing something right and are important for some reason or another.” Hoyt believes that people who are supposed to be in your life will always be there. One leader who drew Hoyt to Oklahoma State is Dr. Kayse Shrum, the first female president of Oklahoma State University. “She recognizes the importance of females in leadership and athletics and has given me a blueprint of what that looks like,” Hoyt says. Dr. Shrum is mentoring Hoyt, bringing her to several events and outings. Hoyt adds that she loves the way Dr. Shrum carries herself with such poise, class, and confidence.
“I want women and young girls to know that you can do hard things. It might seem like you have the world against you, and you’re going to have to overcome some challenging things that others may not, but at the same time, that’s life. You have to continue to push through,” Hoyt states. Her advice to women in leadership and coaching positions is to be authentic to who they are, adding, “When I coach I’m very passionate, fiery, and competitive. As a female, that can sometimes be perceived as emotional or lack self-control, but with male coaches, it’s competitive or passionate.” Although this dichotomy is frustrating, Hoyt strongly believes that if you are passionate and love something, then you must pursue it with all your heart and soul. This sentiment, in part, is what led her to Oklahoma State. “OK State is a brand that is nationally recognized,” she says. Growing up in Big 12 territory, just over the border in Kansas, she and her family would hear about OK State every single sports season. When the University of Missouri-Kansas City hired Hoyt for her first head coaching job, she was the youngest head coach in Division I women’s basketball. Hoyt attributes that accolade to her hard work, but more so to the people who believed in her and were willing to take a risk on hiring a young newcomer. Hoyt is currently the youngest head coach in the Power Five. “I don’t take that lightly,” she states. “Its something I’m very honored to say. I see it as my responsibility to be a trailblazer in the industry and show my players that you can be a feminine, fiery female in this profession.” 12
Fit City | Issue No. 17
PHOTO BY SARAH ZUBAIR
YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS.
The Cowgirls appreciate the connection with Coach Hoyt and the investment in them as women. “It’s important to me to be able to empower, impact, and invest in them in ways that really transcend the game. Helping them with their confidence, self-talk and all those things that are important to being successful in life after basketball,” says Hoyt. Coach Hoyt immediately got to work adding several transfer players to the Cowgirl’s roster in preparation for the 2022 season. Now that she’s an Okie, Hoyt fits right into the Stillwater community and enjoys meeting the locals when she’s not on the court. For information on the 2022-2023 Cowgirl’s basketball schedule or obtaining tickets, visit https://okstate.com/sports/womens-basketball