ATLANTA (February 21, 2018) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club today released the names of the 10 coaches in the running for the 2018 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year honor. From this list, the Naismith Awards master voting academy will select the four finalists, to be announced on March 14. The 2018 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year will be announced on March 31.
Fans will be able to support their favorite coach by visiting naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 19-30 to cast their ballot. The fan vote accounts for five percent of the overall final vote.
“This has been a remarkable college basketball season thus far, and these 10 semifinalists have proven themselves worthy of being considered for the Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
“Werner is thrilled to be presenting the semifinalists for the Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year,” said Chris Filardi, vice president of marketing at WernerCo. “These coaches set an incredible example both on and off the court.”
| NAME | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|
| Karen Aston | Texas | Big 12 |
| Geno Auriemma | UCONN | AAC |
| Kelly Graves | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Muffet McGraw | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Kim Mulkey | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Robin Pingeton | Missouri | SEC |
| Vic Schaefer | Mississippi State | SEC |
| Joni Taylor | Georgia | SEC |
| Jeff Walz | Louisville | ACC |
| Amy Williams | Nebraska | Big Ten |
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Celebrating 50 Years of the Citizen Naismith Trophy
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, which have become the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Players of the Year. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Coaches of the Year, Boys’ and Girls’ High School Basketball Players and Coaches of the Year, Basketball Officials and Outstanding Contributors to the game. Celebrating its 50th year by honoring past winners, the Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969. Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1983.
ABOUT WERNER LADDER COMPANY
WERNER, a WernerCo brand, is the world leader in ladders and has a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, step stools, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, WERNER provides a full line of climbing equipment that’s engineered to provide maximum safety, durability and productivity at every height. For more information, visit www.wernerco.com/us.
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Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
tmessier@jacksonspalding.com
404-214-3596