WEEK 13: WHoopDirt.com Coach of the Week presented by Pivot Analysis

Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)


Congratulations to the following coaches who have been selected as the Week 13 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 13 winners are:


D1: Carla Berube – Princeton University

Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (17-3)

Past week’s results: 79-59 W vs Yale, 76-63 W vs Brown

Highlights: Two more Ivy League wins last week for Berube and the #25 Tigers have them sitting atop the league at a perfect 7-0. A 29-point 3rd quarter on Friday helped Princeton pull away from Yale and secure a 79-59 victory. On Saturday, the Tigers out rebounded visiting Brown 41-26, and had 10 steals on the way to a 76-63 win. Berube’s team is now riding a 12-game winning streak and they remain undefeated (8-0) at home this season.


NCAA D2: Kiera Wooden – West Chester University

Weekly record (overall): 3-0 (16-5)

Past week’s results: 73-45 W vs Millersville, 67-45 W at Bloomsburg, 58-49 W vs #14 Lock Haven

Highlights: A busy week for Wooden’s squad as they had two blowout wins, and knocked off a nationally ranked opponent. In the first two games of the week, West Chester held their opponents to just 45 points in each game, with an average margin of victory of 25 to collect two important PSAC wins. On Saturday, West Chester knocked off #14 Lock Haven, handing the visitors their first conference loss of the season. That win was also the 20th straight home victory for the Golden Rams, tying the 1995-96 and 1996-97 teams for the program record. West Chester has now won 8 in a row, and sit in second place in the PSAC (11-4).


NCAA D3: Ben O’Brien – University of Scranton

Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (19-2)

Past week’s results: 86-58 W at Wilkes, 56-51 W vs #8 Catholic

Highlights: Scranton took a 16-point lead at the half on Wednesday at Wilkes, and never looked back en route to an 86-58 win. On Saturday, they snapped #8 Catholic’s 20-game winning streak, and handed the visitors their first loss of the season in a 56-51 thriller. With that win, Scranton has moved up to #8 in this week’s D3Hoops.com poll. The Lady Royals are also a perfect 10-0 at home on the season, 12-2 in the Landmark Conference, and are winners of six straight.


NAIA: Hannah Moeller – Mid-America Christian University

Weekly record (overall): 3-0 (16-6)

Past week’s results: 72-58 W vs SW Christian, 75-69 W vs Texas Wesleyan, 79-78 W vs Science and Arts

Highlights: A three win week for MACU began on Monday when the Evangels used an 18-8 fourth quarter to pull away from Southwestern Christian to earn a 72-58 victory. Moeller’s crew then held Texas Wesleyan to just 2 first quarter points, as they secured the season sweep vs the Rams 75-69. MACU wrapped up the week on Saturday by knocking down a free throw with 0.3 remaining to secure a nail-biting 79-78 win at Science and Arts (OK). The Evangels are now on a 6-game win streak, and are 12-3 at home on the season.


JUCO: Riley Maye – Harcum College

Weekly record (overall): 3-0 (20-3)

Past week’s results: 133-28 W vs Salem CC, 74-62 W vs CCBC Essex, 111-33 W vs Monroe

Highlights: A top five win sandwiched between two blowouts last week for Maye’s Harcum squad have propelled them to the #6 spot in the latest NJCAA D2 rankings. In their two lopsided wins of the week, Harcum averaged 122 points, with an average margin of victory of 91.5. Things were a bit tougher on Thursday against then #5 CCBC Essex on Thursday, but Harcum managed to pull off the upset 74-62. Harcum opened the game by taking a 26-9 lead after the first quarter, but CCBC Essex would come storming back and cut the lead to 4 going into the fourth thanks to a 24-15 third period. Maye’s group would rally to close the game on an 18-10 run to secure their 10th straight victory.


Week 1

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

Week 2

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

Week 3

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

Week 4

NCAA DI: Joye Lee-McNelis – Southern Miss
NCAA DII: Anna Kowalska  – Wheeling University
NCAA DIII: Kelly Thompson – Roger Williams University
NAIA: DeWitte Mandley – Wiley University
JUCO: Mike Helmer – Butler Community College

Week 5

NCAA DI: Jason Burton – University of North Texas
NCAA DII: Will Brown – College of St. Rose
NCAA DIII: Kate Vlahakis – Manhattanville College
NAIA: Ethan Whaley – Indiana Wesleyan University
JUCO: Bob McKinley – Weatherford College

Week 6

NCAA DI: Anthony Bozzella – Seton Hall
NCAA DII: Kurt Westendorp – Ferris State University
NCAA DIII: Hannah Iverson – UW-Stout
NAIA: Kevin Herod – Langston University
JUCO: Darryl Watkins – Rock Valley College

Week 7

NCAA DI: Christmas Holiday – no winner selected
NCAA DII: Christmas Holiday – no winner selected
NCAA DIII: Christmas Holiday – no winner selected
NAIA: Christmas Holiday – no winner selected
JUCO: Christmas Holiday – no winner selected

Week 8

NCAA DI: Cori Close – UCLA
NCAA DII: Mike Williams – Grand Valley State University
NCAA DIII: Randi Henderson – Washington University in St. Louis
NAIA: Dennis Hutter – Mayville State
JUCO: Jamarra Robinson – Indian River State College

Week 9

NCAA DI: Kenny Brooks – Virginia Tech
NCAA DII: Cleve Wright – Gannon University
NCAA DIII: KJ Krasco – Middlebury College
NAIA: Jeff Soderquist – John Brown University
JUCO: Marbely Montas – Union College

Week 10

NCAA DI: Jesyka Burks-Wiley – Florida International University
NCAA DII: Ann Hancock – Wingate University
NCAA DIII: Brian Morehouse – Hope College
NAIA: Tony Campbell – Reinhardt University
JUCO: Brock Kimball – Cisco College

Week 11

NCAA DI: Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
NCAA DII: Molly Martin – Regis University
NCAA DIII: Aby Diop – Dickinson College
NAIA: Chad Folsom – Benedictine College
JUCO: Mike Seney – CCBC Essex

Week 12

NCAA DI: Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
NCAA DII: Trent May – Southern Nazarene University
NCAA DIII: Peg Swadener – Willamette University
NAIA: Alico Dunk – Stillman College
JUCO: Rory Kuhn – Gulf Coast State


Previous WHoopDirt.com / Pivot Analysis Coach of the Year Award Winners:

Division I

Division II

Division III

NAIA

JUCO