DALLAS (March 30, 2023) — University of South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has been named the 2023 WBCA NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today.
It is the second straight year and third time in the last four years that Staley has been so honored by her peers. She joins Geno Auriemma (7), Muffet McGraw (3) and Pat Summit (3) as the only coaches to be named WBCA NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year three or more times.
Staley will be presented with the Pat Summitt Trophy, named for the late legendary University of Tennessee coach and awarded annually to the national coaches of the year in each of the WBCA’s six membership divisions.
“The WBCA is proud to announce Dawn Staley as the 2023 recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy presented to the WBCA NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. “We also congratulate the other head coaches who were selected by their peers as finalists for this prestigious award.
“It is incredibly special to acknowledge that Dawn Staley has won the WBCA Coach of the Year award three times in the last four years. Dawn is currently at the top of the sport and sustaining success. Her devotion to her student-athletes and the growth of the game has lifted the sport from a media, fan, and sponsorship perspective. Dawn was chosen by her peers for this award in recognition of her South Carolina team’s excellence. She is very deserving of the WBCA’s highest honor in the coaching profession.”
Donehew continued: “It is rare for our most decorated players to also be our most successful head coaches. Dawn has succeeded at every level of our game as both a player and coach. Her peers are affirming how gifted she is as a coach.”
The WBCA NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year is selected by a committee of coaches. This year’s finalists were:
|
NAME |
SCHOOL |
|
Jennie Baranczyk |
University of Oklahoma |
|
Kenny Brooks |
Virginia Tech University |
|
Jose Fernandez |
University of South Florida |
|
Shauna Green |
University of Illinois |
|
Niele Ivey |
University of Notre Dame |
|
Lindy La Rocque |
University of Nevada |
|
Teri Moren |
Indiana University |
|
Kim Mulkey |
Louisiana State University |
|
Lynne Roberts |
University of Utah |
|
Dawn Staley |
University of South Carolina |
Visit www.wbca.org/recognize/ to see a list of past recipients of the award.
About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
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