Congratulations to the following coaches who have been selected as the Week 4 WHoopDirt.com Coach of the Week presented by Pivot Analysis. These coaches are now eligible to receive the WHoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award presented by Pivot Analysis which will be announced at the conclusion of the 2023-24 college basketball season.
This is the fifth season that WHoopDirt.com has run the Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year programs. The list of 2023-24 Coach of the Week winners, as well as previous Coach of the Year winners can be found below this week’s recipients
To nominate coaches for future weeks, please email [email protected] with your selection(s).
The Week 4 winners are:
D1: Joye Lee-McNelis – Southern Miss
Weekly record (overall): 1-0 (7-0)
Past week’s results: 61-59 W vs #19 Ole Miss
Highlights: After a tough start to the week for Coach Lee-McNelis, who showed strength and resilience to get through, she was able to orchestrate a Top 25 upset. The veteran head coach lost her father last week, and had the funeral on Monday. She then continued her chemo treatments on Tuesday, as she has been fighting her third battle with lung cancer. After all of that, Lee-McNelis showed up to work Wednesday, and prepared her team the rest of the week for their match-up with #19 Ole Miss. Thanks in part to a 17-10 4th quarter, the Lady Eagles were able to pull off the upset, and in doing so knocked off the ranked Rebels for the program’s first win over an AP Top 25 team since 2000. Southern Miss is now 7-0 for the first time since 2003 and holds an eight-game streak at home. #McNelisStrong
NCAA D2: Anna Kowalska – Wheeling University
Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (7-0)
Past week’s results: 82-66 W vs Davis and Elkins, 58-51 W at West Virginia Wesleyan
Highlights: Two more wins last week for Wheeling have the Cardinals at 7-0 and a perfect 3-0 in the Mountain East Conference. Kowalska’s team opened the week with a 82-66 win over Davis and Elkins thanks in part to a 24-8 3rd quarter. Wheeling then held off a late charge at West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday to come away with a 58-51 win. This is the first time in program history that the team has started a season 7-0, and are now ranked #5 in the Division II Collegiate Sports Communicators (D2CSC) Atlantic Region Women’s Basketball poll.
NCAA D3: Kelly Thompson – Roger Williams University
Weekly record (overall): 3-0 (4-2)
Past week’s results: 64-58 W at Brandeis, 62-49 W vs WNEU, 74-73 W at Suffolk
Highlights: A 3-0 week for Thompson and her RWU squad, included two conference wins, a buzzer beater, and a long league winning streak remaining in tact. The Hawks knocked off Brandeis on the road on Monday, then downed WNEU at home on Wednesday. The game of the week however was at Suffolk on Saturday. RWU’s Katie Galligan banked in a 3 off of an inbounds play as time expired to give the Hawks a 74-73 win (check out the video below – she may have gotten fouled as well). With that win, Roger Williams has now won 28 Commonwealth Conference games in a row.
NAIA: DeWitte Mandley – Wiley University
Weekly record (overall): 3-0 (8-3)
Past week’s results: 41-40 W vs Talladega, 61-56 W at Dillard, 85-75 W at Southern (NO)
Highlights: Mandley led Wiley University to three conference victories this week. On Tuesday, they buried a three with time winding down to beat Talladega College 41-40. The Lady Wildcats then went on the road for two games in Louisiana over the weekend – beating Dillard on Friday and Southern University at New Orleans on Saturday. In their game vs Southern, they overcame a fourth quarter deficit to force OT and won the game in the extra period. This is now the first time the Lady Wildcats have opened conference play with three consecutive victories since 2015-16.
JUCO: Mike Helmer – Butler Community College
Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (10-0)
Past week’s results: 68-50 W at #21 Coffeyville, 55 41 W vs Barton
Highlights: The #3 NJCAA D1 team in the nation continued their winning ways last week, and 10-0 (4-0 KJCCC). Helmer’s squad took down nationally ranked Coffeyville on the road on Wednesday, handing the hosts their first conference loss of the season. On Saturday, Butler held Barton to just two second quarter points, and 28% shooting from the field for the game on their way to a 55-41 victory. Butler is now 10-0, the second time in three seasons.
NCAA DI: Larry Vickers – Norfolk State University
NCAA DII: Megan Dzikas – Florida Southern College
NCAA DIII: Meg Barber – NYU
NAIA: Bill Harmsen – Dordt University
JUCO: MJ Baker – Northwest Florida State College
NCAA DI: Nicki Collen – Baylor University
NCAA DII: John Nakpodia – University of District Columbia
NCAA DIII: Christin Gowan – McDaniel College
NAIA: Jeff Nickel – Georgetown College (KY)
JUCO: Kori Stephenson – Mesa CC
NCAA DI: Wes Moore – North Carolina State
NCAA DII: Tom Shirley – Thomas Jefferson University
NCAA DIII: Juli Fulks – Transylvania University
NAIA: Ginger High Colvin – Campbellsville University
JUCO: Erika Harris – Moberly Area CC
Previous WHoopDirt.com / Pivot Analysis Coach of the Year Award Winners:
Division I
- 2022-23: Kenny Brooks – Virginia Tech University
- 2021-22: Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
- 2020-21: Adia Barnes – University of Arizona
- 2019-20: Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Division II
- 2022-23: Kari Pickens – Ashland University
- 2021-22: Kim Stephens – Glenville State College
- 2020-21: Steve Gomez – Lubbock Christian University
- 2019-20: Molly Miller – Drury University
Division III
- 2022-23: Juli Fulks – Transylvania University
- 2021-22: Brian Morehouse – Hope College
- 2020-21: Brian Morehouse – Hope College
- 2019-20: Jill Pace – Tufts University
NAIA
- 2022-23: Courtney Boyd – Clarke University
- 2021-22: Jeff Hans – Thomas More College
- 2020-21: Kirsten Moore – Westmont College
- 2019-20: Chris Nelson – Bethel University
JUCO
- 2022-23: Mike Seney – CCBC Essex
- 2021-22: Trenia Tillis Hoard – Tyler Junior College
- 2020-21: No winner named – COVID season
- 2019-20: Cayla Petree – South Plains College
