How to decide a coach of the year?
Should it go to someone who has sustained success? Someone who has built a winner with less talent than others? Someone who has produced by assembling a stellar roster and managing it well? Should it go to someone who hit her stride at the right moment? Someone who wins against the stiffest of competition? Someone whose team was an afterthought yet blew us all away this season?
Our women’s basketball staff at The Athletic considered all of these points when voting for our national coach of the year. And our reporters came up with a winner, Washington State’s Kamie Ethridge. Perhaps fittingly, the coach who reeled off upsets on her way to a Pac-12 tournament title won our award by a one-point margin over Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks.
Coach of the year
| Place | Coach | Team | Point total | First-place votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Kamie Ethridge |
Washington State |
9 |
3 |
|
2 |
Kenny Brooks |
Virginia Tech |
8 |
1 |
|
3 |
Dawn Staley |
South Carolina |
7 |
1 |
|
4 |
Brenda Frese |
Maryland |
5 |
|
|
5 |
Niele Ivey |
Notre Dame |
3 |
1 |
|
6 |
Geno Auriemma |
UConn |
2 |
|
|
6 |
Teri Moren |
Indiana |
2 |
Six women’s basketball reporters voted for their top three choices, which were assigned point values to tabulate the winner.
Here’s how our staff members voted with an explanation on their picks:
Chantel Jennings
1. Kamie Ethridge
2. Kenny Brooks
3….
