Since his return to Cape Girardeau in 2006, no coach has had as much success as Redhawks women's basketball coach John Ishee over the course of the last two seasons. Two years at the helm; two Ohio Valley Conference Championships and two postseason berths including the program's first NCAA Women's Tournament appearance in 2007.

Since taking over the program as acting head coach on Nov. 9, 2006 and later officially named the team's head coach on March 5, 2007, coach Ishee has compiled a record of 47-17. That mark and his .734 winning percentage is the best in the OVC during that span and the best start of a coaching career by any Redhawks coach in the program's successful history.

Last season Coach Ishee led the team to a 23-9 overall record including an OVC record of 17-3 to claim the Redhawks second-straight regular season OVC Championship. Those 17 conference wins set a new OVC best for conference wins in a season. The Redhawks also went an amazing 10-0 in OVC road games, the first time the Redhawks have went undefeated on the road and the first time a team has accomplished that in the OVC since 2002. The regular season title gave the Redhawks an automatic berth to the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT), the first appearance at the prestigious event for the program.

During the 2006-07 season Ishee guided the Redhawks to the best single-season mark in the program's NCAA Division I history by posting a 24-8 record, their first outright Ohio Valley Conference regular season title in school history along with an OVC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. For his efforts, Ishee was named the 2007 OVC Coach of the Year, while two players (Lachelle Lyles and Missy Whitney) captured All-OVC accolades. Southeast ranked first among the OVC and NCAA Division I leaders in several categories, including rebounding margin (1st/9th) and defensive field goal percentage (1st/28th).

Ishee, a 21-year veteran at the collegiate level, came to Southeast from New Mexico Highlands University, an NCAA Division II institution, where he served as head coach of the Cowgirls' basketball team in which he recorded a 7-11 record that season.

During the 2001-02 season, he finished with a 22-10 record at the helm of the women's basketball program at Life University in Georgia. He guided the Runnin' Eagles to a No. 18 ranking and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NAIA Division I National Tournament before Life University dropped collegiate athletics late that summer, which led Ishee to his first stint at Southeast.

After leaving Southeast, Ishee moved on to New Mexico State University, where he served as the team's top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for two seasons. During the 2003-04 season, he helped lead the Aggies to the program's first and only Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinal appearance. That team also earned the program's only victory against a top-25 nationally ranked opponent. His 2004-05 recruiting class was rated one of the top-50 in the nation by the All-Star Girls Basketball Report.

Prior to his head coaching stint at Life University he served as an assistant at Saint Louis University for one season and spent three seasons at Ole Miss as the team's recruiting coordinator. During his stint at Ole Miss, the Lady Rebels made the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) in 2000.

During the 1996-97 season, the Gulfport, Miss., native was with McNeese State University as the team's Associate Head Coach, where the Cowgirls made it to the Southland Conference tournament semifinals with a record of 17-9. It was the ninth-best turnaround in the NCAA that season.

In 1995, he was an assistant coach at the University of Pacific, who made an appearance at the Big West Conference tournament championship game.

From 1991 thru 1994, he served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Southern Mississippi. Those teams made two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 appearance during the 1993-94 season. Ishee recruited and help lead the squad to a school best national ranking and finished with a record of 26-5.

He served as a graduate assistant coach for the Southern Mississippi men's team from 1989 thru 1991, assisting the team to a 1990 NCAA Tournament appearance.

From 1987-1989, he served as the head coach for both the men's and women's basketball teams at Prentiss High School in Prentiss, Miss. There he captured two division championships and two state playoff berths while compiling a combined record of 77-40 at the prep level.

Ishee received both his Bachelor's of Science and Master's Degree in Educational Administration from Southern Mississippi. The son of John and Opal Ishee, he is single and resides in Cape Girardeau.