The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today 15 women's basketball coaches on the late season watch list for the Werner Ladder Naismith Women's Coach of the Year award.
The Pac-12, Big Ten and SEC lead in conference representation with three coaches each on the list.
The 2021 list includes Dawn Staley (South Carolina) and Adia Barnes (Arizona), both of whom were finalists in 2020. Staley won the 2020 award.
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Other previous winners on the list are UConn's Geno Auriemma and Stanford's Tara Vanderveer. Auriemma's won the award 8 times, with his most recent win in 2017. Vanderveer previously won in 2011 and 1990.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club will release a list of 10 national semi-finalists on March 3. The list will shorten to Four finalists on March 18.
The winner will be announced on April 3.
| Name | School | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Geno Auriemma | UConn | BIG EAST |
| Adia Barnes | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Kim Barnes Arico | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Gary Blair | Texas A&M | SEC |
| Mike Carey | WVU | Big 12 |
| Cori Close | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Jose Fernandez | USF | AAC |
| Brenda Frese | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Kellie Harper | Tennessee | SEC |
| Aaron Johnston | South Dakota State | Summit |
| Kevin McGuff | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Wes Moore | NC State | ACC |
| Dawn Staley | South Carolina | SEC |
| Tara VanDerveer | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Jeff Walz | Louisville | ACC |
