By AJ Nelson, WHoopDirt.com staff writer
Congratulations to the following coaches who have been selected as the Week 6 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 2020-21 college basketball season.
This is the second season that HoopDirt.com and Pivot Analysis have run the Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year programs. Last season’s weekly winners, and COY winners can be found following this weeks honorees.
This season will be a bit different, however. As college basketball adjusts to life with COVID, so will we. Not every level will be honored on a weekly basis – we will honor as many of the levels as possible provided enough games are played. It’s different than in the past, but we still hope to have enough weekly winners at each level to name a Coach of the Year (NCAA DI, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO) at the end of the season
To nominate coaches for future weeks, please email [email protected] with your selection(s).
The Week 6 winners are:
NCAA DI: Kyra Elzy – University of Kentucky
Coach Elzy’s No. 13 Wildcats began conference play this week with a pair of wins over fellow top-15 opponents. In their conference opener on Thursday, Kentucky pulled away late from 10th-ranked Arkansas to take a 75-64 victory. The Wildcats then hit the road to take on No. 12 Mississippi State on Sunday. Kentucky shot 14-28 from three on the way to an impressive 92-86 overtime win. These two victories improved the Wildcats to 9-1 (2-0 SEC) on the season. They will look for win No. 10 when they face off against Texas A&M on the road on Thursday.
NCAA DII: No week 6 winner awarded
NCAA DIII: Cassi Rozanski – LeTourneau University (TX)
Coach Rozanski’s squad won three games in three days this week at the Dallas Christian College Christmas Classic. In the Classic’s opener, the YellowJackets overcame a poor shooting night by knocking down 31 free throws to defeat Texas A&M – Texarkana by a score of 74-62. The following afternoon, LeTourneau used a 17-4 fourth quarter to pull away from Sul Ross State and take a 73-57 victory. The YellowJackets then led host Dallas Christian by as many as 29 on the way to a 73-55 triumph to cap off the week. Now 4-1 on the season, LeTourneau will take on Hardin-Simmons in their first conference matchup on Thursday.
NAIA: Grady Morrell – Webber International University (FL)
Two impressive road victories this week have improved Coach Morrell’s Warriors to 9-2 on the season. Webber International began the week by having 13 different players score in a 69-48 win over Warner on Wednesday. In their next contest, the Warriors trailed Keiser by as many as 10 in the second half before rallying to come away with a closely-contested 61-59 victory. With these two wins, Webber International moved to 6-0 on the road and 5-1 in conference play. The Warriors return home to take on Ave Maria on Thursday.
JUCO: No week 6 winner awarded
2020-21 HoopDirt.com / Just Play Solutions Coach of the Week Winners
NCAA DI: Mike Carey – West Virginia University
NCAA DII: Nate Vogel – Texas A&M International University
NCAA DIII: No week 1 winner awarded
NAIA: Jessie Biggs – Indiana Institute of Technology
JUCO: No week 1 winner awarded
NCAA DI: Adia Barnes – University of Arizona
NCAA DII: Jason Williams – Belmont Abbey College (NC)
NCAA DIII: Blake Arbogast – East Texas Baptist University
NAIA: Krista Van Hauen – St. Ambrose University (IA)
JUCO: No week 2 winner awarded
NCAA DI: Amy Vachon – University of Maine
NCAA DII: Lora Westling – Western Colorado University
NCAA DIII: Polly Thomason – University of Texas Dallas
NAIA: Megan Leuzinger – Evangel University (MO)
JUCO: No week 3 winner awarded
NCAA DI: Aaron Johnston – South Dakota State University
NCAA DII: Tanya Haave – Metropolitan State University of Denver
NCAA DIII: No week 4 winner awarded
NAIA: Ginger High Colvin – Campbellsville University (KY)
JUCO: No week 4 winner awarded
NCAA DI: Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
NCAA DII: No winner – mandatory DII winter break
NCAA DIII: No week 5 winner awarded
NAIA: Jeff Hans – Thomas More University (KY)
JUCO: No week 5 winner awarded
2019-20 WHoopDirt.com / Pivot Analysis Coach of the Year Award Winners:
Division I
- 2019-20: Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Division II
- 2019-20: Molly Miller – Drury University (MO)
Division III
- 2019-20: Jill Pace – Tufts University (MA)
NAIA
- 2019-20: Chris Nelson – Bethel University (TN)
JUCO
- 2019-20: Cayla Petree – South Plains College (TX)
Pivot Analysis is the market leader in college basketball advanced stat generation and visualization. Their products make it easy to identify optimal lineup rotations, scout an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, evaluate a player’s impact on the team, and identify prospects for the next level. Visit us at www.pivotanalysis.com to learn more about how our tools can be used to save you time and effort.
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.
