Geno Auriemma Headlines 2026 Women's College Coach of the Year Watch List

Having already been named Naismith Coach of the Year eight times in his legendary career, Connecticut's Geno Auriemma will look to add a ninth to his overflowing trophy case.

Auriemma was one of 15 head coaches named to the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year late-season team on Wednesday.

2025-26 Naismith Women's Coach of the Year Late-Season Team

• Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
• Cori Close, UCLA
• Dawn Staley, South Carolina
• Vic Schaefer, Texas
• Shea Ralph, Vanderbilt
• Kim Barnes Arico, Michigan
• Kim Mulkey, LSU
• Jennie Baranczyk, Oklahoma
• Carla Berube, Princeton
• Krista Gerlich, Texas Tech
• Jan Jensen, Iowa
• Kara Lawson, Duke
• Kevin McGuff, Ohio State
• Tammi Reiss, Rhode Island
• Jeff Walz, Louisville

Auriemma has UConn off to a 27-0 start as the program chases its seventh undefeated season ever. No other women's program has more than one undefeated season.

The Huskies' sustained success over the years might actually work against Auriemma. Even though he has won the Naismith Coach of the Year award eight times, his last time receiving the honor was for the 2016-17 season.

Connecticut is the nation's lone remaining unbeaten team with marquee wins over Michigan, Iowa and Tennessee.

Also in the mix for the award is UCLA's Cori Close, who won it last year after leading the Bruins to a 34-3 record before losing to Connecticut in the Final Four.

The Bruins have arguably been even better so far this season. They are 25-1 overall (15-0 in the Big Ten) and lead the NCAA with 14 wins against quad one opponents.

If Close does win, she would become the fourth women's coach to receive the honor in back-to-back years. Auriemma, Muffett McGraw and Dawn Staley are the others.

Staley, Kim Mulkey and Vic Scaefer are among the other past winners who were named to the late-season team on Wednesday.

One potential spoiler on the list is Shea Ralph, who has done a fantastic job of building up the Vanderbilt program. Now in her fifth season, Ralph has led the Commodores to their first top-five ranking in the AP poll since the end of the 2001-02 season.

Vanderbilt already has 24 wins, its most in a single season since 2008-09 (26). It doesn't hurt Ralph's case that the Commodores have wins over LSU and Texas so far this season.