Seattle U women’s basketball coach Joan Bonvicini is one of 30 finalists for Naismith Awards Women’s College Coach of the Year. The list of 30 will be narrowed down to the top four finalists on March 20, with the winner named on April 9.
Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, founder of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy is awarded annually to the women’s and men’s college basketball players of the year. In 1987, the Naismith Women’s and Men’s College Coach of the Year Awards were originally given to the coaches of the women’s and men’s NCAA Division I tournament champions. In 1989, the determination of the award winner was changed to a voting process by Atlanta Tipoff Club’s board of selectors, including leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from across the country.
Bonvicini is one of the most successful coaches in women’s collegiate basketball history, as she is currently 11th on the NCAA Division I all-time wins list. She boasts a 663-361 career record, coaching her 1000th career game earlier this season. In February 2007, she became only the 18th coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to reach the 600-win mark.
The complete list of finalists is below.
| Name |
School |
| Geno Auriemma |
Connecticut |
| Kim Barnes Arico |
Michigan |
| Bob Boldon |
Youngstown State |
| Matt Bollant |
Illinois |
| Brenda Frese |
Maryland |
| Stephanie Gaitley |
Fordham |
| Lindsay Gottlieb |
California |
| Jim Jabir |
Dayton |
| Muffet McGraw |
Notre Dame |
| Kevin McGuff |
Washington |
| Kim Mulkey |
Baylor |
| Sue Semrau |
Florida State |
| Dawn Staley |
South Carolina |
| Jeff Walz |
Louisville |
| Coquese Washington |
Penn State |
| Courtney Banghart |
Princeton |
| Tina Martin |
Delaware |
| Holly Warlick |
Tennessee |
| Gary Blair |
Texas A&M |
| Joan Bonvicini |
Seattle U |
| Michelle Clark-Heard |
Western Kentucky |
| Matthew Mitchell |
Kentucky |
| Sylvia Hatchell |
North Carolina |
| Tara VanDerveer |
Stanford |
| Bill Fennelly |
Iowa St. |
| Kevin Borseth |
Green Bay |
| Tricia Collup |
Toledo |
| Andy Landers |
Georgia |
| Cori Close |
UCLA |
| Quentin Hillsman |
Syracuse |