Why Karen Hancock Remains in Stillwater 25 Years After Remember the Ten Tragedy

Widow of plane crash victim stays rooted in community that rallied around her

Daniel Allen

Jan 31, 2026 - 5 min read

Then-OSU women's soccer coach Karen Hancock greets players following a match during the 2015 season. Hancock coached the Cowgirls from 1995 through 2016 before transitioning to her current role as senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator for OSU athletics. – Photo Courtesy OSU Athletics

Why Karen Hancock Remains in Stillwater 25 Years After Remember the Ten Tragedy — Then-OSU women's soccer coach Karen Hancock greets players following a match during the 2015 season. Hancock coached the Cowgirls from 1995 through 2016 before transitioning to her current role as senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator for OSU athletics. – Photo Courtesy OSU Athletics

Karen Hancock sat comfortably in her living room recliner in her Stillwater home.

Jan. 27, 2001. Not a worry in the world seeped into her mind that evening. Her sole focus was on HBO, watching over her adolescent daughter, Andrea, and awaiting the arrival of her husband, Will Hancock, the media relations coordinator for the Oklahoma State men’s basketball team.

Life felt at ease. Until it wasn’t.

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