Kay Yow Award


The Kay Yow National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the women's college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition who displays great character both on and off the court. The award was established in 2010 and is named for legendary women's head coach Kay Yow, who coached at NC State from 1975 to 2009 before succumbing to stage 4 breast cancer. Yow was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 but still continued to coach until the illness forced her to take a medical leave of absence in early 2009. Yow accumulated over 700 wins as a head coach, and also led the United States women's basketball team to an 1988 Summer Olympics|Olympic gold medal] in 1988.

Selection

The award is presented to the coach who has exhibited great personal character both as a coach and as a person. A committee of 26 members, ranging from women's basketball analysts, former and current head coaches, and Yow's three siblings, chooses the winner among a field of finalists.

Winners

YearCoachSchoolRecordPostseason resultReference
2009–10 [NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2009–10]*Nebraska32–2NCAA Sweet 16
2010–11Green Bay34–2NCAA Sweet 16
2011–12Florida Gulf Coast29–3NCAA first round
2012–13Albany27–4NCAA first round
2013–14Hampton28–4NCAA first round
2014–15Tricia FabbriQuinnipiac31–4NCAA first round
2015–16Brian BoyerArkansas State [Red Wolves women's basketball|Arkansas State]27–6WNIT second round
2016–17Maureen MagarityNew Hampshire26–6WNIT first round
2017–18Sue Guevara2017–18 [Central Michigan Chippewas women's basketball team|Central Michigan]30–5NCAA Sweet 16
2018–19Kellie Harper2018–19 [Missouri State Lady Bears basketball team|Missouri State]25–10NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2019–20Brian GiorgisMarist26–4Canceled
2020–21Jarrod OlsonCalifornia Baptist26–1WNIT Quarterfinal
2021–22Dawn PlitzuweitSouth Dakota29–6NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2022–23Teri MorenIndiana28–4NCAA second round
2023–24Carly Thibault-DuDonis2023–24 [Fairfield Stags women's basketball team|Fairfield]31–2NCAA first round
2024–25Larry Vickers2024–25 [Norfolk State Spartans women's basketball team|Norfolk State]30–5NCAA first round