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Michelle Gardner-Bilek enters her second year as the Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Chicago and her eighth year as a coach in the women's basketball program in the 2025-26 academic year.
Throughout the 2024 season, Gardner-Bilek was named to the 2024 WBCA Next Generation Institute program. She was selected as one of 32 coaches to participate in the high level education program for experienced assistant coaches who aspire to become head coaches. In Gardner-Bilek's final season as an assistant for Chicago, the Maroons posted a record of 16-9. The team finished with three All-UAA selections and one named to the D3hoops.com All- Region team. At their highest, UChicago was ranked at No.11, while mostly receiving votes throughout the entirety of the season.
UChicago posted a 23-5 record during the 2022-23 season - the fourth-highest win total in program history. The Maroons advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament and hosted postseason games for the first time since 2012. Senior guard Grace Hynes earned a bevy of awards, including WBCA Honorable Mention All-America, WBCA Division III All-Star Team, D3hoops.com Second Team All-Region and First Team All-UAA. Head Coach Maria Williamson and her assistants were named the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year, and three Maroons earned All-UAA status.
The 2021-22 Maroons posted a 14-10 overall record. Senior forward Klaire Steffens was a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American while also receiving D3hoops.com Second Team All-Region status and First Team All-UAA honors. Junior guard Grace Hynes was a Second Team All-UAA selection as well. The Maroons ranked third in the conference with 60.7 points allowed per game while forcing a league-high 18.8 turnovers per game.
In 2019, Bilek was named to the WBCA 30 Under 30 list. As a member of staff for UChicago, the Maroons posted a 21-6 overall record and won the UAA title. The team qualified for the NCAA tournament for the fourth year in-a-row, advancing to the second round. Taylor Lake, Mia Farrell and Miranda Burt all surpassed 1,000 career points. Lake was named the UAA Player of the Year, as well as receiving All-American honors from D3hoops.com and the WBCA. Sain and her coaching staff garnered UAA Coaching Staff of the Year for the fourth time in six years.
The 2018-19 Maroons reached the NCAA postseason for the third-straight season, finishing with a 19-7 overall record. Olariche Obi became the 13th UChicago player to score 1,000 career points.
Bilek brings familiarity with the University Athletic Association (UAA). She arrived at UChicago after spending the 2017-18 season as an assistant coach at fellow conference school New York University. That season, the Violets posted an 18-11 overall record. Bilek also coached and mentored All-American guard Kaitlyn Read, who was picked as the Jostens Trophy winner as well as the UAA Player of the Year.
Prior to her experience at NYU, Bilek served as the Director of Basketball Operations at Columbia University from 2013-17. Her wide breadth of responsibilities included travel arrangements, team equipment, budgeting, academic liaison, community service, summer camps, filming and special events.
Bilek spent seven summers as a basketball camp counselor as well. The Mount Prospect, Ill. native worked camps hosted by Loyola Academy, Trinity High School and Northwestern University.
As a collegian, Bilek played four years of basketball for Illinois Wesleyan University. She was part of the Titans squad that reached the NCAA Final Four in 2011, won the NCAA Division III national championship in 2012, and made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2010. She was picked as a team captain in her senior season. Over her entire time at IWU, Bilek posted a playing record of 102-21.
Bilek graduated from IWU in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary education – child and family studies.
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