Story: AJ Nelson, Senior Staff Writer, WHoopDirt.com
BOSTON, MA – The following women’s college basketball coaches have been honored with the Week 1 WHoopDirt.com Coach of the Week Award, presented by Just Play Solutions. These coaches are now eligible for the WHoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award, presented by Just Play Solutions, which will be announced at the conclusion of the 2025-26 college basketball season.
This marks the sixth season of WHoopDirt.com’s Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year programs.
To nominate coaches for future weeks, please email [email protected] with your selection(s).
The Week 1 winners are:
D1: Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
New year, same results for Coach Auriemma’s squad in the early-going, as the top-ranked Huskies won another pair of games this week to improve to 6-0 on the season. UConn began its week with a top-10 showdown, taking on No. 6 Michigan in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase on Friday. The Huskies led by as many as 19 in the first half, and held off a late Wolverine rally to come away with a 72-69 victory. Back in action on Sunday, UConn had an easier time with Utah, jumping out to a 24-point lead after one quarter and never looking back on the way to a 93-41 triumph. Now 6-0 on the season, the Huskies will open conference play with a road matchup against Xavier on Sunday afternoon.
NCAA D2: Tim Kirby – Harding University
After opening the season with two victories over ranked opponents, Coach Kirby’s Lady Bisons stayed hot this past week, picking up another pair of wins. 10th-ranked Harding played its home opener on Tuesday, forcing 19 turnovers in a 77-65 triumph over Cameron. Returning to the floor on Saturday, the Lady Bisons came one three-pointer away from tying the program record, draining 15 triples in an 86-71 win. With the wins, Harding improved to a perfect 4-0 on the season. The Lady Bisons will hit the road to take on Central Oklahoma in a Monday evening matchup.
NCAA D3: Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft – Shenandoah University
Coach Smeltzer-Kraft’s Hornets picked up their second ranked win of the season this week, improving to 4-0 in the process. Playing in the Randolph-Macon Tournament over the weekend, Shenandoah took down No. 24 Gettysburg by a score of 63-52 on Friday night. The Hornets had already picked up their first ranked win in their season opener – a 62-59 triumph over No. 19 Catholic on November 10. Back in action on Saturday afternoon, Shenandoah held Mary Washington to just 18-59 from the field and 1-17 from three in a 58-45 victory. The Hornets will look to move to 5-0 on the campaign when they take on Dickinson in a road matchup on Tuesday.
NAIA: Bill Harmsen – Dordt University
Coach Harmsen’s top-ranked Dordt squad saw a little bit of everything this week, picking up victories via a last-second shot and a near 40-point blowout to remain undefeated on the season. Dordt guard Macy Sievers knocked down a 10-footer with just over a second remaining to propel the Defenders to a thrilling 73-71 win over Northwestern College on Wednesday. The Defenders then held No. 25 Hastings to just 21% from the field in a dominant 83-44 victory on Saturday afternoon. Now 7-0 on the season, Dordt will take on another ranked squad in their next matchup – a road showdown with No. 9 Briar Cliff on Wednesday, December 3.
JUCO: Jaleel Taylor – Union College (NJ)
In his first season at the helm, Coach Taylor has UCNJ firing on all cylinders, as his Owls have begun the season 8-0 and jumped into the top five of the NJCAA DII rankings. UCNJ opened Region XIX play with three road contests this past week and came away with dominant victories in each of them. The Owls defeated Raritan Valley 84-60 on Tuesday, Essex County College 86-59 on Thursday, and Middlesex College 92-35 on Saturday. These wins came on the heels of a thrilling 99-95 win at then-No. 3 CCBC Essex the previous week. Coach Taylor’s Owls will look to close out November with their perfect record intact when they take on Lackawanna College on Tuesday evening.
