tory: AJ Nelson, Senior Staff Writer, WHoopDirt.com
BOSTON, MA – The following women’s college basketball coaches have been honored with the Week 16 WHoopDirt.com Coach of the Week Award, presented by FastBreak PlayBook. These coaches are now eligible for the prestigious WHoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award, presented by FastBreak PlayBook, which will be announced at the conclusion of the 2024-25 college basketball season.
This year, WHoopDirt.com has partnered with FastBreak PlayBook to bring even more value to the Coach of the Week program. As part of the collaboration, each weekly winner will receive a complimentary Full-Team Annual Membership to the FastBreak PlayBook platform.
“FastBreak PlayBook is very excited to partner with WhoopDirt for the Coach of the Week Award. We are passionate about bringing a spotlight to deserving women’s basketball coaches and look forward to providing a free Full-Team Annual Membership to each winner.” – Kendall Acho, Chief Operating Officer
This marks the fifth season of WHoopDirt.com’s Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year programs. The list of 2024-25 weekly winners, as well as the all-time COY recipients can be found below this week’s release.
To nominate coaches for future weeks, please email [email protected] with your selection(s).
The Week 16 winners are:
D1: Wes Moore – North Carolina State University
Coach Moore led NC State to a pair of huge wins over ranked opponents this week, including one over the top-ranked team in the nation. The then-13th ranked Wolfpack used a 17-0 third quarter run to defeat then-No. 20 Georgia Tech 83-68 on the road on Thursday. NC State then returned home to host then-No. 1 Notre Dame on Sunday. The matchup did not disappoint, featuring 21 ties and 21 lead changes in a 104-95 double overtime victory for the Wolfpack. The win snapped Notre Dame’s 19-game winning streak and marked NC State’s first over an AP No. 1 team since 2021. Now 22-5 (14-2 ACC) on the season, the Wolfpack jumped up to No. 9 in the latest AP Top-25 Poll. They will host Wake Forest on Thursday night.
NCAA D2: Tom Shirley – Thomas Jefferson University
Coach Shirley’s Rams put on two stellar defensive performances this week, allowing him to pick up a milestone victory. Jefferson held Caldwell to just 21.8% from the field in a 58-33 home victory on Wednesday. The win marked No. 900 in Coach Shirley’s 42-year head-coaching career – the last 35 of which he has spent with Jefferson. He is the active DII wins leader and is second all time behind former Bentley coach Barbara Stevens. His Rams returned to action on Saturday, this time limiting Georgian Court to just 23.6% from the field en route to a 70-31 triumph. After another victory on Monday, Jefferson is now 21-6 (13-2 CACC) on the season. They will host No. 20 Holy Family in their final regular season contest on Saturday.
NCAA D3: Veronica Nolt – Elizabethtown College
Coach Nolt’s Blue Jays had a week to remember, as they set a new program record for wins in the Landmark Conference-era and knocked off one of the top teams in the nation. No. 22 Elizabethtown defeated Drew 77-57 on Wednesday to pick up win No. 15 on the season – the program’s most since joining the Landmark Conference ahead of the 2014-15 season. The Jays then hosted No. 2 Scranton, who entered the matchup undefeated, allowing just 44.3 points per game on the season. Elizabethtown was able to hold off a late comeback attempt to secure a huge 70-64 victory. The 70 points were the most that Scranton had allowed all season. With a record of 22-3 (16-2 Landmark), the Blue Jays will head into the Landmark Conference Tournament as the No. 2 seed. They currently await an opponent for their semifinal matchup on Thursday.
NAIA: DeWayne Burroughs – Shawnee State University
With two more wins this week, Coach Burroughs’ squad clinched its first regular season conference championship since the 2017-18 season. Shawnee State, who received votes in the latest NAIA Top-25 Poll, used a strong second half to pull away from Midway and pick up a 75-60 win on Tuesday. Back in action on Saturday, the Bears jumped out to a 27-9 first quarter lead over Alice Lloyd and never looked back, taking an 82-61 victory. The win sealed the River States Conference regular season title for the Bears, securing them an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign. Coach Burroughs’ successful week also secured a sweep for Shawnee State in the Week 16 HoopDirt.com/WHoopDirt.com Coach of the Week selections, as Bears’ men’s coach Mike Hunter also claimed the award. Shawnee State will carry a record of 24-4 (15-1 RSC) into a RSC Quarterfinal matchup against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Wednesday.
JUCO: Chelsea Dewey – Arizona Western College
Coach Dewey’s Matadors continued stellar regular season with two more wins this week, capturing the ACCAC DI regular season title. No. 12 Arizona Western held Yavapai to just 11-49 (22.4%) from the field in a 78-28 win on Wednesday. Returning to the floor on Saturday, the Matadors picked up a 72-61 victory over No. 22 Cochise to extend their winning streak to seven. Now 22-3 (14-2 ACCAC) on the season, Arizona Western has won seven games over ranked opponents on the season. They will travel to take on Central Arizona on Wednesday evening.
2024-25 WHoopDirt.com / FastBreak PlayBook Coach of the Week Winners
Week 1
Early season – no winners selected.
NCAA DI: Kenny Brooks – University of Kentucky
NCAA DII: Buffie Burson – University of North Georgia
NCAA DIII: Laurie Kelly – Gustavus Adolphus College
NAIA: Bill Harmsen – Dordt University
JUCO: Mike Seney – CCBC Essex
NCAA DI: Geno Auriemma – UConn
NCAA DII: Danielle Fleming – PennWest Clarion
NCAA DIII: Lindsay Schultz – Carroll University
NAIA: Hannah Moeller – Mid-American Christian University
JUCO: Austin Mefford – New Mexico Junior College
NCAA DI: Kara Lawson – Duke University
NCAA DII: Rick Neumann – University of Mary
NCAA DIII: Mia Smith – Illinois Wesleyan University
NAIA: NaJarius Green – Columbia College
JUCO: John Ontjes – Hutchinson Community College
NCAA DI: Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
NCAA DII: Kari Kerkhoff – McKendree University
NCAA DIII: Meg Barber – New York University
NAIA: Adam Hocking – Clarke University
JUCO: Jamie Fisher – Florida SouthWestern State College
Week 6
NCAA DI: Vanessa Blair-Lewis – George Mason University
NCAA DII: Emry Tsitouris – Mars Hill University
NCAA DIII: Megan Phelps – Bowdoin College
NAIA: Alico Dunk – Stillman College
JUCO: Nate Beutel – SUNY Niagara
Week 7
Winter Break – No winners selected.
Week 8
Winter Break – No winners selected.
NCAA DI: Karen Aston – University of Texas at San Antonio
NCAA DII: John Bonner – California State University, Dominguez Hills
NCAA DIII: Katherine Auguste – Colorado College
NAIA: Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt – Southern Oregon University
JUCO: Jessica Eaton – Florida State College at Jacksonville
NCAA DI: Charmin Smith – University of California, Berkeley
NCAA DII: Lisa Wilson – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
NCAA DIII: Cheri Harrer – Baldwin-Wallace University
NAIA: Bo Browder – Xavier University of Louisiana
JUCO: Bart Walker – Northwest Florida State College
NCAA DI: Vernette Skeete – Texas Southern University
NCAA DII: Matt Houser – Columbus State University
NCAA DIII: Brad Fischer – University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
NAIA: Chris Vincent – Langston University
JUCO: Marbely Montas – Union College (NJ)
Week 12
NCAA DI: Kevin McGuff – Ohio State University
NCAA DII: Courtney Boyd – Quincy University
NCAA DIII: James Boney – Rutgers University-Camden
NAIA: Rick Reeves – University of the Cumberlands
JUCO: Mitch Rolls – Chipola College
NCAA DI: Chelsea Lyles – Florida Gulf Coast University
NCAA DII: Mike Williams – Grand Valley State University
NCAA DIII: Lindsey Burke-Eberhart – Randolph-Macon College
NAIA: Ethan Whaley – Indiana Wesleyan University
JUCO: Misty Opat – Cochise College
NCAA DI: Cori Close – University of California, Los Angeles
NCAA DII: Lenise Stallings – Chowan University
NCAA DIII: Rodney Rogan – Johns Hopkins University
NAIA: Kellie Kennedy – Loyola University New Orleans
JUCO: Alex Wiggs – Three Rivers College
NCAA DI: Lindsay Gottlieb – University of Southern California
NCAA DII: C White – Bentley University
NCAA DIII: Alexa Shields – United States Merchant Marine Academy
NAIA: Andre Bell – Stephens College
JUCO: Dan Savage – College of Southern Nevada
Previous 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
FastBreak PlayBook provides coaches with a database of plays drawn by professional and college level coaches with coaching points and player assignments. All plays are editable to fit your system or you can quickly draw your own with their custom-built play drawing tool. Additional features allow coaches to create practice schedules, scouting reports, as well as integrate and distribute video to their team directly with the mobile team app.
WHoopDirt.com is the largest website in the country dedicated specifically to women’s college basketball coaching news, jobs, and rumors at all levels. WHoopDirt.com brings a unique insider perspective to the world of college basketball coaching – it was founded by college coaches as a way to help the college basketball community stay informed of what is going on in the coaching profession.
