National Coach of the Year?

[bballnut90]

Who ya got?
Here are the top candidates IMO:
Geno-you could argue that with 1 loss, UCONN has underachieved compared to most fans expectations this year, but besides the one loss UCONN was been untouchable. The scary thing is, this could be UCONN's most dominant team yet.

Scott Rueck-He'd probably have my vote at this point. Oregon State was preseason #20 and they have been outstanding all season long. He has really done a remarkable job with OSU, and they return all starters next season.

Kim Mulkey-Baylor is a one loss team, they look even better than last year when they had Sims. Johnson is one of the premier point guards in the nation, Davis is a POY candidate, and they don't have any top 10 recruits to speak of. Great job by Mulkey.

Dawn Staley-USC is remarkably better this year than they were a year ago. They aren't at UCONN's level, but being a 1 loss team this late in the season is impressive.

Courtney Banghart-Princeton has been a huge surprise this year. If they enter the NCAA tournament undefeated, it will be hard not to give it to her. Outstanding job.

 

[Wally East]

If I had money to bet on it, I'd put it all on Staley. No question.

Just fits the profile of who wins, for better or worse.

 

[Vowelguy]

Staley is clear front runner

 

[UcMiami]

I would go with Princeton or OrSt just because of the exceeding expectations nature of their seasons. Barring those two, Kim and Baylor who were supposed to begone but not this good.

 

[reno tony]

And if TENN beats SC next week should Holly be considered a candidate?

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

And if TENN beats SC next week should Holly be considered a candidate?

Maybe, but I don't see Tennessee coming into Columbia and ending USC's 30 game home court winning streak.

 

[Vowelguy]

And if TENN beats SC next week should Holly be considered a candidate?

Nah. Tenn was expected to be good.
So was SC, but staley would get it because she has built the program from near nothing, and she's a popular name.

 

[Vowelguy]

By conference:

ACC: sue semrau, fsu
BiG: frese; also: Minnesota, Iowa, or nwestern
B12: mulkey
PAC: rueck, ore st; also: turner-Thorne
Sec: staley
AAC: Geno
Bge: bozzella, seton hall
A10: tps is, gw

 

[UcMiami]

Had forgotten about the SH revival

 

[Wbbfan1]

If Princeton ends up undefeated prior to the tournament, I think Courtney Banghart will win Coach of the Year.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

By conference:

ACC: sue semrau, fsu
BiG: frese; also: Minnesota, Iowa, or nwestern
B12: mulkey
PAC: rueck, ore st; also: turner-Thorne
Sec: staley
AAC: Geno
Bge: bozzella, seton hall
A10: tps is, gw

Great list. I fear the Freese has the B1G award, although I would prefer McKeown (Northwestern). I don't think Iowa is likely as they are performing as expected (and not above and beyond) and don't think this year is Minnesota's year.

In the PAC - Rueck probably, if nothing "bad" happens in the rest of the season.

As far as the coach of the year - nationally - I think Staley may be the front-runner. It won't go to a non-major coach, I'm pretty certain. There are regional coaches of the year, I think, and I could see Banghart contending there.

 

[Striper69]

If Princeton ends up undefeated prior to the tournament, I think Courtney Banghart will win Coach of the Year.

My vote!

 

[jennyo70]

What about Walz? In our inaugural season of the ACC, wildly considered a rebuilding year, he has his team:
- with only 3 losses
- going down the homestretch of the season in the conversation of potentially earning a piece of the ACC title
- he has taken a team with 5 seniors, who have been waiting in the shadows of Shoni, to sidestep the spotlight and let the freshman lead. ( by this I mean has them working cohesively, despite being led by freshman, egos put aside).

While our wins have not always been pretty, we are finding ways to win. Personally, I think he has done a masterful job this season and is worth consideration.

 

[reno tony]

Maybe, but I don't see Tennessee coming into Columbia and ending USC's 30 game home court winning streak.

Big IF now that Izzy is out, but if they beat SC or win the SEC, I think she should be considered. I don't believe they have a dominant team but they somehow find a way to win.

 

[EricLA]

I'd be stunned if Staley wins. SC was preseason #2 or 3 in the nation. It's not like they came from nowhere. They were expected to be a NC contender. And they got destroyed by UCONN. Worse than our beatdown of ND. I have to think the OSU or Princeton coaches are the leading candidates. Maybe add in the coach of FSU...

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I think Dawn has a great chance - her teams have improved every year since she's been at USC, and for most of those years she wasn't getting top recruits.

 

[EricLA]

I think Dawn has a great chance - her teams have improved every year since she's been at USC, and for most of those years she wasn't getting top recruits.

Her team was a 1 seed last year. This year she expected to vie for a NC. Getting completely destroyed by UCONN indicates what a huge gap there is between UCONN and everyone else. If SC had beaten UCONN, I'd say she'd be right up there in the conversation. But the award is not given out because a "coach improved every year". It's "coach of the year", not "coach of the past few years"...

But heck, 1 "voter" felt SC was the #1 team in the nation so there's obviously no accounting for logic in the way the voters actually vote.

BTW I was wrong. SC was actually #2 preseason in both AP and Coaches. They were "expected" to be a great team this year. The fact that they have one loss while not really beating a top 10 team this season (unless you count Duke and Kentucky who are percolating around the top 10), it's not like they beat UCONN, ND, Baylor, Louisville, Maryland, Oregon State and FSU.

Note, I'm NOT saying they don't deserve to be ranked #2 - they totally do, BUT to imply that Dawn has done something "incredible" or "magically surprising" this year is just not correct. And IMHO NCOY should be for a coach who did way better than expected, or overcame serious obstacles (injuries, etc), to get their team near the top . Aside from getting crushed by UCONN, SC is about exactly what everyone expected of them this year (except maybe a tad less impressive - a 1 point miracle win over Duke is not exactly impressive)...

Preseason, FSU was ranked #37, and Oregon State wasn't even in the top 50. To me, it's amazing what those 2 schools have accomplished this season - far more than UCONN or SC or ND or any of those schools "expected" to be in the top 5 or 10. Princeton is another school, who, even tho they had an easy schedule, are undefeated and not ranked in the top 50 preseason. That's why I picked those 3 schools over a program like SC who was already expected to be there.

 

[loneycafe]

By conference:

ACC: sue semrau, fsu
BiG: frese; also: Minnesota, Iowa, or nwestern
B12: mulkey
PAC: rueck, ore st; also: turner-Thorne
Sec: staley
AAC: Geno
Bge: bozzella, seton hall
A10: tps is, gw

Semrau will probably be ACC Coach of the Year, but the turnaround McConnell-Serio has had at Pitt is quite impressive.

 

[triaddukefan]

Semrau will probably be ACC Coach of the Year, but the turnaround McConnell-Serio has had at Pitt is quite impressive.

I was looking at Pitts schedule the other day, and looking at their losses. Princeton, James Madison, Duquesne, Louisville, @FSU, Syracuse, @ Duke, and @ Louisville. They finish @ Syracuse tomorrow... then @ Notre Dame and home vs Clemson. I think as long as they win vs Clemson and win a game in the ACC tourney, then they will make the NCAA's.

 

[BoomBoom]

I can see voters going with Staley for the cumulative work she's done there--a kind of "she's due" or "it's her time" award. Not unlike an Oscar being given to an actor who may not have done the best work in that particular year but did well enough to get into the conversation and who seems overdue for recognition.

But if the award were strictly merit-driven for one year, it would be hard not to go with Rueck at Oregon State--especially if OSU wins both the regular season and tournament PAC12 titles. Unseating Stanford from its perennial perch...elevating his team into the Top 10...and doing so without the benefit of players in the conversation for All-American honors...now that's something.

Frese at MD and Walz at Louisville have had sustained success this year with teams that have lost program-defining players. Also super impressive.

 

[alexrgct]

What would it take for Geno to win the award again? If UConn enters the season with lower than normal expectations, it's on him for not building his program to the level typically expected. Conversely, if the program comes into a season a national championship contender as usual, he's not given credit for delivering that kind of team.

As far as I'm most concerned, he lost two wbca AAs from last season and built up a team that was able to forge a new identity. Save one early-season loss, his team has been far and away the #1 squad heading into the postseason. That's may not be a surprise, but it is a body of work that is every bit as impressive as anyone else's.

And what about last year? He put together as fine a season as a WCBB team ever has. Why not credit him for that?

I doubt he'll win...and quite frankly, I think that sucks.

 

[Wally East]

What would it take for Geno to win the award again?

...

I doubt he'll win...and quite frankly, I think that sucks.

Sucks more than that he didn't win the WBCA Coach of the Year in 1995? But, he did win in 1997.

I'm sure you, he, and everyone else will agree: rings over COYs

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

The MN coach, Marlene Stollings, has her team very competitive after losing their best player, Rachel Banham, to season ending ACL injury early in the season! They've beaten some really good teams, Nebr. & IA, among others! C Amanda Zahul has been unbelievable the last 2 games, 39 & 27 points and 29 & 27 rebounds respectively!
My other choices are: Scott Rueck, OreSt., Bozzella at the black hole, Seton Hall, and Kim Mulkey Baylor was to be building and they could be a #1 NCAA seed!

 

[rocky rococo]

I suspect that, for reasons already given, Dawn takes it, and I don't begrudge her at all. I would hope one of the most overlooked and underestimated coaches in wcbb, Sue Semrau, gets a real look. This may be the only year she's ever in the running. FSU has performed well above expectations in what could easily be the strongest conference of them all.

 

[Icebear]

It will be Dawn because she is the coach they want to promote.