Bradley University’s women’s basketball program faces a challenging season as head coach Kate Popovec-Goss has been suspended for the remainder of the non-conference season, the school announced on Friday. The suspension, which is 10 games, begins with the scheduled game against Central Michigan on Sunday.

This decision comes in the wake of Bradley’s season opener loss at Kansas City on Nov. 6, leaving the team with a 0-1 record. Assistant coach Armelia Horton will step in as interim coach for the Braves during Popovec-Goss’s absence. The university’s brief statement emphasized adherence to its core values and standards for staff but did not disclose further details, citing the confidentiality of personnel matters.

Cody Roskens, Bradley’s assistant director of athletic communications, maintained this stance of confidentiality, offering no additional comments to the Peoria Journal Star’s Wes Huett during the recent men’s basketball game. The Bradley women are set to begin their Missouri Valley Conference season on Dec. 30, navigating these early challenges without their head coach.

Popovec-Goss’s journey in coaching has been marked by significant milestones. Hired in April 2022, she previously served as associate head coach and recruiting director at Northwestern University. She stepped into the role at Bradley, succeeding Andrea Gorski, who retired after a 25-year coaching career. Popovec-Goss, an alumna of Pittsburgh and Northwestern, returned to the latter as an assistant in 2017, later rising to the position of recruiting and defensive coordinator. In August 2021, she was named Northwestern’s associate head coach under Joe McKeown, before joining Bradley for the 2022-23 season.

Despite these credentials, Popovec-Goss’s first season at Bradley was challenging, with the team finishing 4-28 overall and 1-19 in the MVC.