For Immediate Release
March 31, 2023
Ashland University Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kari Pickens has been named as the WHoopDirt.com NCAA D2 Coach of the Year presented by Just Play Solutions for the 2022-23 college basketball season. Pickens qualified for the award by being named as the WHoopDirt.com/Just Play Solutions Coach of the Week in Week 9 of the season.
Pickens has led Ashland to a 36-0 record so far this season. Her Eagles will face Minnesota Duluth on Saturday in the NCAA D2 Women’s Basketball Championship game. Pickens’ squad also went a perfect 20-0 in the Great Midwest Conference, and captured both the regular season and tournament titles.
The Eagles’ current 36-game winning streak is the program’s second-longest all-time (they hold the NCAA D2 record 73-game streak from 2016-18), and is the ninth-longest streak in D2 women’s basketball history. Ashland also ranks first in the nation in scoring margin, beating their opponents by an average of 24.3 points per game.
Pickens is now 65-3 (41-1) over the past two seasons. She also earned the Great Midwest Conference Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year award for her efforts this season.
The complete list of previous Coach of the Year winners as well as this year’s Coach of the Week recipients can be found below.
Previous WHoopDirt.com / Pivot Analysis Coach of the Year Award Winners:
Division I
- 2022-23: TBD
- 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
2022-23 WHoopDirt.com Coach of the Week Winners:
NCAA DI: Carrie Moore – Harvard University
NCAA DII: Charlie Avercamp – Hillsdale College
NCAA DIII: Cherri Harrer – Baldwin Wallace University
NAIA: Alico Dunk – Stillman College
JUCO: MJ Baker – Eastern Florida State College
NCAA DI: Ashleen Bracey – UIC
NCAA DII: Taylor Harris – Fort Lewis College
NCAA DIII: Lynn Hersey – Smith College
NAIA: Darrick Matthews – University of Science and Arts
JUCO: Kim Muhl – Kirkwood Community College
NCAA DI: Larry Vickers – Norfolk State
NCAA DII: Grahm Smith – Lenoir-Rhyne University
NCAA DIII: Juli Fulks – Transylvania University
NAIA: Jeff Hans – Thomas More University
JUCO: Tanya Kaufmann – Western Technical College
NCAA DI: Teri Moren – Indiana University
NCAA DII: Jenepher Banker -Daemen University
NCAA DIII: J.R. Fredette – Albertus Magnus College
NAIA: Candace Walker – St. Thomas University
JUCO: Clenita “Penny” Belford – Pensacola State College
NCAA DI: Tricia Cullop – Toledo University
NCAA DII: Stephanie Lawrence Yelton – University of West Florida
NCAA DIII: KJ Krasco – Middlebury College
NAIA: Bill Harmsen – Dordt University
JUCO: Riley Maye – Harcum College
NCAA DI: Kim Mulkey – LSU
NCAA DII: Kerry Phayre – Assumption University
NCAA DIII: Maria Williamson – University of Chicago
NAIA: Ginger High Colvin – Campbellsville University
JUCO: Jamarra Robinson – Indian River State College
Week 7:
Christmas Holiday – no winners announced
Week 8:
New Year’s Holiday – no winners announced
NCAA DI: Kevin McGuff – Ohio State
NCAA DII: Kari Pickens – Ashland University
NCAA DIII: Keri Carollo – Wisconsin-Whitewater
NAIA: Mike Davis – Central Methodist University
JUCO: Angelica de Paulo – Eastern Arizona College
NCAA DI: Jacie Hoyt – Oklahoma State
NCAA DII: Justin Payne – Georgia Southwestern
NCAA DIII: Randi Henderson – Washington University in St. Louis
NAIA: Kellie Kennedy – Loyola University of New Orleans
JUCO: Olivia Gaines – Richard Bland College
NCAA DI: Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
NCAA DII: Carrie Eighmey – University of Nebraska at Kearney
NCAA DIII: Cameron Hill – Trinity University (TX)
NAIA: Courtney Boyd – Clarke University (IA)
JUCO: Jason Nichols – Morton College
NCAA DI: Katie Geralds – Purdue University
NCAA DII: Beth Jillson – Texas Woman’s University
NCAA DIII: Keith Mondillo – Gwynedd Mercy University
NAIA: Steve Edwards – Brewton-Parker College
JUCO: Jason Bonde – Rochester Community & Technical College
NCAA DI: Alex Simmons – Gardner-Webb University
NCAA DII: Dave Krauth – Augustana University (SD)
NCAA DIII: Bill Broderick – Christopher Newport University
NAIA: Hannah Moeller – Mid-America Christian University
JUCO: Misty Opat – Cochise College
NCAA DI: Kenny Brooks – Virginia Tech University
NCAA DII: Mike Williams – Grand Valley State
NCAA DIII: Kendra Whitehead – Hardin-Simmons University
NAIA: Brenita Jackson – Texas Wesleyan University
JUCO: Mike Seney – CCBC Essex
NCAA DI: Lisa Carlsen – Northern Illinois University
NCAA DII: Serena King-Coleman – Fayetteville State
NCAA DIII: Ben O’Brien – University of Scranton
NAIA: Clifton Williams – University of Pikeville
JUCO: Marbely Montas – Union College (NJ)
NCAA DI: Lynne Roberts – University of Utah
NCAA DII: John Bonner – Cal State Dominguez Hills
NCAA DIII: Kelly Thompson – Roger Williams University
NAIA: Eric Jackson, Jr. – Rust College
JUCO: Kevin Jones – Fulton-Montgomery Community College
