With 20 years of head coaching experience in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference, the South Plains College women's basketball program is led by Ara Baten, who enters his third season as the head coach of the Lady Texans. 

Baten wasted no time during his first season in Levelland, leading the Lady Texans to one of the best seasons in program history during the 2020-21 season. The Lady Texans would go on to capture the Western Junior College Athletic Conference title, as well as the Region V title, and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NJCAA Women's Basketball National Tournament, capping the year with a record of 20-4.

Baten would build on that success during his second season, leading the Lady Texans to their second consecutive Region V title, earning an automatic bid to the 2021 NJCAA Women's Basketball National Tournament. South Plains would go on to advance to the Elite Eight after taking down the defending national champions Northwest Florida State in the Sweet 16. SPC finished the season with a record of 22-9. 

Baten arrived in Levelland after 13 seasons heading up the Odessa College women's basketball program where he led the Lady Wranglers to 20 or more wins in 11 seasons, including four consecutive trips to the Women's Basketball National Tournament. Odessa qualified for the Region V Tournament 12 times dating back to 2009 under Baten's tutelage, with a trio of Lady Wranglers earning All-Americans honors, in Morgan Holly (2014), Mariah McCully (2017), and Okako Adika (2020).

The Lady Wranglers proved to be one of the top programs in the country under Baten, who has amassed an overall record of 423-207, including a 274-123 clip at Odessa. Baten led the Lady Wranglers to the 2016-2017 Western Junior College Athletic Conference title and was named the WJCAC Coach of the Year that same season.

A native of Andrews, Texas, Baten played for Hall of Fame coach Ron Black at New Mexico Junior College where he helped the Thunderbirds capture the 1991-92 Western Junior College Athletic Conference crown. Baten would then transfer to Eastern New Mexico University where he was a two-year starter for the Greyhounds, leading ENMU to a Lone Star Conference title and a berth in the NJCAA Div. II Sweet Sixteen.

Following his playing career, Baten would return to Hobbs where he spent six seasons as the head coach of the Lady Thunderbirds, earning Coach of the Year honors in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference during the 2002-03 season.