Congratulations to the following coaches who have been selected as the Week 2 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 2 winners are:
D1: Nicki Collen – Baylor University
Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (3-0)
Past week’s results: 84-77 W vs #4 Utah, 81-71 W vs Harvard
Highlights: Collen’s Bears are rolling, with two wins last week, including an 84-77 upset of #4 Utah. That win marked the highest-ranked victory for Collen in her career, and was the first win vs a top four team for Baylor since 2020. The Bears scored 81 in their victory vs Harvard later in the week, which gives them three straight games eclipsing the 80 point mark. Baylor jumped 7 spots in the AP Top 25 Poll this week and are now ranked #14 in the country.
NCAA D2: John Nakpodia – University of District Columbia
Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (4-0)
Past week’s results: 64-60 W at Chestnut Hill, 98-73 W vs Bowie State
Highlights: Two wins last week keep UDC undefeated on the season and put the Firebirds at 4-0 for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Nakpodia squad started the week by turning Chestnut Hill over 21 times en route to a 64-60 win. On Saturday, they forced 19 more turnovers which led to 25 points in their 98-73 win vs Bowie State.
NCAA D3: Christin Gowan – McDaniel College
Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (4-0)
Past week’s results: 68-64 (OT) W vs York (PA), 82-58 W vs Goucher
Highlights: The Green Terror (4-0) have matched their best start in the last five seasons, equaling the 2018-19 team that also started the year with four-straight wins. McDaniel trailed York on Wednesday by 3 with less than three seconds left in the game. After a wild sequence, they wound up tying the game and sending it to OT, where they eventually prevailed 68-64. Their 82 points vs Goucher was the most that the team has scored in a game since 2019.
NAIA: Jeff Nickel – Georgetown College (KY)
Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (8-0)
Past week’s results: 77-65 W vs Science and Arts, 102-49 W vs Brescia
Highlights: Georgetown remained undefeated on the season as they ran their record to 8-0 with two more wins. After dispatching Science and Arts 77-65 on Friday, the Tigers exploded for 102 points in their win vs Brescia on Saturday. The 41 first quarter points in that game set a new program record for points in a quarter since women’s college basketball switched to the 4-quarter format in the 2015-16 season. On the season, Nickel’s team has broken the triple digit mark three times, and are averaging 91.8 ppg.
JUCO: Kori Stephenson – Mesa CC
Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (4-1)
Past week’s results: 102-26 W vs Community Christian College, 63-60 W vs NJCAA D1 #3 CSI
Highlights: Mesa, now ranked #3 in the country (NJCAA D2) is currently on a three game winning streak after two more wins last week. After beating Community Christian College by 76 on Wednesday, they turned around and upset the College of Southern Idaho (ranked #3 in NJCAA D1) 63-60 on Saturday. The win was their third of the season vs a ranked opponent, and they handed CSI their first loss of the year.
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
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
