2020 100 Most Impactful People in Women’s College Basketball
*** Barbara Stevens - Bentley
With 1,039 wins, Barbara Stevens is one of the winningest coaches of all time at any level. Stevens’ award list is long with 30 postseason appearances, 5 coach of the Year Awards, and a DII National Championship. In 2002 the WBCA awarded her the Carol Eckman award, which is given to a coach that “best demonstrates the character of the late Carol Eckman.” Coach Stevens finished her final season with Bentley following the 2019-202 campaign but her impact on women’s college basketball will be felt for years to come.
*** Harry Perretta - Villanova
Former Villanova Head Coach Harry Perretta is a member of the 600 club with 783 wins and a winning percentage of 61.8%. At Villanova Perretta reached both the WNIT and NCAA tournaments 11 times, won 10 conference Coach of the Year Awards, and most recently earned the Carol Eckman Award in 2020. While he has stepped down as Head Coach, Perretta will continue to make his mark on the game as the special assistant to the Athletic Director
*** Muffett McGraw - Former Coach
Former Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw is not only one of the winningest coaches of all time with a record of 936-292 (.772), but she also boasts an impressive 26 NCAA Tournament appearances, including nine Final Fours and two National Championships. McGraw’s award list stretches far with four AP Coach of the Year awards, three Naismith Coach of the Year awards, three USBWA Coach of the Year awards, the Carol Eckman Award, and the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. McGraw is currently a member of both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Angie McCormick - Fairfax Stars
Coach Aggie McCormick has coached AAU/Travel basketball for more than 20 years and is the Founder of the Fairfax Stars.. The 2019 season marked Coach McCormick’s return as the Head Coach for the U17 Girls Nike EYBL team. She previously served as the Head Coach for 8 years from 2009-2016. The Fairfax Stars are one of only 32 Nike-affiliated teams from across the country and have been in the girls EYBL since its inception in 2014. The Fairfax Stars is a volunteer, community based organization that has served more than 7,000 families since its beginning. 2019 represented the 23rd year of Fairfax Stars basketball.
Al Honor - Lake Highland Prep
Hired as Head Coach at Lake Highland Prep in July of 2011, he quickly made his positive impact on the girl basketball scene in Florida. Since 2011, the Lady Highlanders have won 224 games, seven straight District Championships, six Regional Championships and three 4A State Championship Titles. Most recently, Honor and his Lake Highland team received an invite to the 2020 Geico Nationals. Honor s is also the Founder and Director of Central Florida Elite (CFE) Girls Travel Ball Organization. CFE have produced more than 100 college basketball players and all collegiate levels in their short existence.
invite to compete for a national championship GEICO NATIONALS. His record currently stands
at 224 wins and 47 losses.
Nike TOC
The TOC is one of the top event platforms for girls basketball in country and has produced events across multiple sports for more than 45,000 student-athletes from every region of the United States, Canada, and Mexico; in the past decade, over 3,000 high school and club teams have competed in more than 30 elite tournaments conducted in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Illinois.
Ashleigh Picci
Ashleigh Picci is currently the COO of the Nike Tournament of Champions and has been with Nike for the past 15 years.
Steve Kozaki
Steve Kozaki is the director of TOC and has been one of the most influential people in grassroots events for years.
Becky Hammon - Las Vegas Aces
Now the head coach for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, former San Antonio Spurs Assistant Coach Becky Hammon has had an illustrious career both on and off of the court. In 2014, following her playing career, Hammon began coaching in the NBA for the Spurs as only the second female assistant in NBA History. Since her hire Hammon has gone on to win an NBA summer league title, participate as a coach in the NBA All Star Game, and earn her way to the front of the bench for the Spurs. As a player, Hammon was a three-time All-American and 1999 Naismith Award Winner at Colorado State. From here she went on to play professionally in the WNBA and overseas for 16 years and by the end of her career, would be considered a top 20 player of all time. Her contributions to the game of basketball have been major and she acts as an outstanding role model for young women across the world. Hammon is truly a trailblazer in the industry and her impact will be felt for a very long time.
Bill Fennelly Iowa State
Iowa State Head Coach Bill Fennelly has been one of the most consistent and successful coaches in college basketball for over 20 years. As a member of the 600 club Fennely boasts an impressive 670-321 win/loss record. With this, his long list of accomplishments includes 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, nine conference championships, two District Five coach of the year awards, and three Gold Medals with team USA. Coach Fennelly has also produced a number of all americans in, Stacy Frese, Angie Welle, Anne O'Neil, Lyndsey Medders, Alison Lacey, Kelsey Bolte, Chelsea Poppens,Hallie Christofferson and most recently Bridget Carleton and Ashley Joens.
Bob Corwin - National Exposure Basketball
“Basketball” Bob Corwin is the leader of National Exposure Basketball, which is one of the top event operators and evaluation organizations in the country. NEB hosts events such as Run 4 Roses, Battle in the Boro, Summer Showdown, and their National Championship. These events attract 1000 plus college coaches and service over 3000 teams each year.
Bob Corwin is considered the most knowledgable scout in all of girls basketball. Covering thousands of girls nationally each year, Corwin hits every corner of the states and there is not a top 100 player that he has not evaluated in the past 30 years. Known as "Basketball Bob," Corwin is a grassroots legend and his impact on the women's game has been astronomical.
Boo Williams - Boo Williams EYBL
One of the original Godfathers of grassroots basketball, Boo Williams is still going strong. Williams has exemplified where serving your community can get you as his 64,000 square foot Boo Williams Sportsplex serves as a reminder for all the hard work he has put into the coastal Virginia communities for nearly the last 40 years. The facility is now home to numerous events, including his infamous league that has roughly 200 teams with 2,000 different players. grassroots legend.
Peach State Basketball
Brandon Clay
Brandon Clay is the owner of Peach State Basketball and has been actively involved in the grassroots game since 2001 after getting his start coaching high school boys and girls basketball. Since then, he’s built out a vision that includes PSB hosting some of the top events in the country. His BrandonClayScouting.com Report has become one of the most well respected scouting services in America and his contributions to Women’s College Basketball have been major. Aside from scouting and operations, Clay also acts as the Executive Camp Director for PSB and currently sits on the McDonald's All American National Voting Committee, Naismith HS Voting Coordinator, and Naismith College Player of the Year Committee.
Jonathan Hemingway
Jonathan Hemingway has been with Peach State Basketball since 2006 and acts as the Director of Domestic Scouting for JumpOffPlus, floor director for all PSB camps, and site director for all PSB tournaments. Over the past 14 years, Hemingway has made his mark on the college game as a high school scout, prolific scout, event operator and more. He currently serves on the National Voting Committees for the Naismith Trophy HS All-American Team. Aside from Peach State, Hemingway also operates elite basketball events under his Coach Hemingway Basketball Inc.
Brenda Frese - Maryland
For the past 20 years Maryland Head Coach Brena Frese has been one of the top coaches in college basketball, producing an impressive 543-158 win/loss record. This stretch has included 16 NCAA Tournament Appearances, three Final Four Appearances, and one National Championship. In 2002, during her one year at Minnesota, Frese was named the AP National Coach of the year, USBWA Women’s National Coach of the Year, and Big Ten Coach of the Year. In total, She has received five conference COY awards and produced 15 “top 15” recruiting classes. To put her consistency into perspective, Frese has had only one losing season in her career, which was a rebuilding year during her first season with Maryland.
ASGR
Bret McCormick
Mike White
Bryce McKey - Sports City U
Bryce McKey has been active at nearly every level of basketball from high school and grassroots to Division I college, and now professional. With 15 plus years of experience, McKey is one of the top recruitment specialists in Ohio. As the associate head coach at Hathaway Brown, an all girls private high school, he won three Ohio State Championships in three years. After his first year at Hathaway Brown, he began coaching the nationally renowned AAU team Sports City U, which led to 5 years of collegiate coaching stops at Xavier and Maryland. McKey has been back coaching Sports City U for the past three seasons, including four players who have become McDonald’s All Americans over that time. Every player in the history of Sports City U has gone Division I (mostly power 5). Last year McKey took over the Toledo Threat as Head Coach and General Manager, a professional women’s basketball team, leading them to the tournament championship (10-1 record) following just two wins a season before. McKey is also known for his work with the Ohio Girls Basketball Report, a scouting service in Ohio which also runs individual exposure events and some of the top high school in season events in the Country.
EOT Basketball
Carl Tinsley
In the early 1980’s Carl Tinsley started the End of Trail Basketball Tournament and at the time, tournaments were not a major part of girls Summer Basketball. Fast forward 2020 and the EOT has grown into a National Showcase for girls HS basketball and has consistently been a major stop for college coaches across the country. Not only has the EOT grown into a major tournament but they have expanded to offer 10 additional events during the spring and summer grassroots seasons. Tinsley coached girls basketball for 30 years at Oregon City HS from 1973-2003, where he won 9 state titles and 3 USA Today National Championships. During this time he was named the Three Rivers Coach of the year, WBCA District 8 Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the Oregon City Hall of Fame and Portland Interscholastic Hall of Fame.
Pat Woodward
Pat Woodward currently operates the EOT Basketball events and is responsible for some of the top showcase tournaments in the country.The EOT has grown into a national showcase for girls HS basketball and has consistently been a major stop for college coaches across the country. Not only has the EOT grown into a major tournament but they have expanded to offer 10 additional events during the spring and summer grassroots seasons.
Carla Berube - Princeton
While her playing career was highly decorated, Princeton Head Coach Carla Berube has already had a tremendous impact from the bench. Previously at Tufts, Berube went 384-96 in 17 seasons while reaching the NCAA Division III final twice, the Final Four four times, the Sweet 16 nine times, and brought in 5 DIII All-Americans. In 2015 she was awarded the Pat Summitt Trophy as the Division III National Coach of the Year and finished as a three-time regional coach of the year. In her first season at Princeton Berube coached the Tigers to a 26-1 record before being cut off by Covid and brought the program to their highest ranking in Ivy history at number 9. She has also been with USA Basketball for 3 years, winning a gold. As a player she scored 1,381 points during her career, helping the UConn Huskies to a 132-8 record and a National Championship.
Charlaine Vivian Stringer - Rutgers
You can’t talk about women's basketball without mentioning Rutgers Head Coach Charlaine Vivian Stringer. During her almost 50 year coaching career, stringer has won an unbelievable 71.2% of her games with a record of 1041-421. Her teams have enjoyed 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four trips to the Final Four, 10 regular season championships, a Big East Tournament Championship, and a WNIT Championship. Stringer has been awarded the Naismith College Coach of the Year award (2002), two WBCA National Coach of the Year awards (1988,1993), two Converse National Coach of the Year awards (1988, 1993), two Black Coaches Association Coach of the Year awards (1993, 1998), four conference Coach of the Year awards (1991, 1993, 1998, 2005), the NCAA Wade Trophy National Coach of the Year award (1982), and was named COY by Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and the LA Times in 1993. To complement this already impressive award list, Stringer holds two bronze, one silver and one gold medal with USA Basketball and has been inducted into both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Charli Thorne - ASU
As the winningest coach in ASU women’s basketball history and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in most career wins (504), Charli Turner Thorne is one of the most decorated coaches in College Basketball and has shown amazing consistency during her career. Since 2001, Coach Thorne has reached postseason play in all by one year and has reached the NCAA tournament 14 times. To go with this, Thorne has helped lead USA Basketball to two gold medals, one during the FIBA Under 21 World Championship for Women in 2007 and another during the World University Games in 2009. In 2001 she was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year and has led her ASU team to a pair of conference championships. Thorne has remained competitive in one of the toughest conferences in America with 21 winning seasons.
Charlotte Smith - Elon
Charlotte Smith has made a tremendous impact on the game as both a player and a coach. In College, Smith was an All-American for UNC and won a National Championship while becoming the Final Four MVP. It was during this championship season that Smith became only the second player to dunk during a women’s college game. From here, she went on to play professionally in the ABL and the WNBA. After playing, Smith returned to UNC but this time as an assistant coach. While at UNC she helped the Tarheels to two final four appearances and four straight number one tournament seeds. After UNC, Smith began her head coaching career at Elon, where she has brought the team to their first NCAA tournament appearances (two in total).
Charmin Smith - Cal
For almost 20 years Charmin Smith has been impacting west coast basketball as a coach. Starting in 2003, Smith was an assistant under the late Cathy Inglese at Boston College where she helped the Eagles win their first Big-East Tournament Championship and make an NCAA Tournament run. Following this, she joined her former coach Tara VanderVeer at Stanford. Here she helped the Cardinal to two Elite Eight appearances. In 2007 Smith joined Cal as an assistant and would soon become the associate head coach, a role she would have until 2019. After taking a year off to coach in the WNBA, Smith is back at Cal and now as the head coach.
Chris Hansen - Elite is Earned
Chris Hansen is a man of many talents and his impact on the game can be felt nationwide as a trainer, coach, event director, and national/international scout. His Elite is Earned brand has become one of the premier outlets for girls basketball with their competitive tournaments and impressive “Check Me Out” Showcases. As a scout, Hansen is the managing editor of Prospects Nation and a top scout for JumpOffPlus.com, an international scouting service. Prior to this, from 2005-2012, he acted as the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz. Hansen currently is a member of the McDonald's All-American Selection Committeeand the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Panel.
USJN/Blue Star
Mike Flynn
There is nobody in the country who has been covering women’s basketball longer than Mike Flynn. In 1981 Flynn Started Blue Star Basketball, which included a series of nationwide All-American camps, evaluation report, and newsletter for women's basketball. From here, Blue Star would go on to be the first dedicated girls basketball website in the country in 1996 and later partner with Nike in 1998. Now, Blue Star sits as the longest running girls basketball information service and is considered one of the most influential girls basketball groups in the country. Flynn was the first girls basketball editor for USA Today when they started their newspaper in 1982 and has served either as the selection chair or as a committee member on various prestigious groups such as the Gatorade Player of the Year program, the McDonald's All-America Team, and Parade Magazine. He is presently the women's college basketball contributing writer for The Sporting News, heading their Preseason College Top 20 and College Preseason All-American teams.
Chris Mennig
Chris Mennig is currently the National Evaluator and Event Coordinator for Blue Star Basketball, one of the nations top scouting services and elite camp operators. With 27 years of experience, Mennig is one of the most well respected grassroots evaluators in the country. During his time in the basketball industry, Mennig has coached across all levels of the game, from high school to High Major Division I, including time with Arizona State University and the University of Illinois. While at Blue Star he was named to the McDonald's All American Committee (2007), as well as an adviser to Gatorade Player of the Year/Sporting News All-American
Kevin Lynch
Over the past 20 years, Blue Star consultant and evaluator Kevin Lynch has evaluated thousands of players and has made a tremendous impact nationwide. With coaching experience across multiple levels of the game, Lynch is entrusted to evaluate and rante the nationals top high school prospects. He provides coaches in DI, DII, DIII, NAIA and JuCo women’s basketball with one of the top scouting services in the country.
Dan Olsen - ESPN Hoopgurlz
Daniel Olsen is one of the most well respected leaders in the field of women's basketball with over 20 years of experience. As the director of ESPN HoopGurlz, the leading girls basketball ranking publication in the country, Olsen covers athletes from every state. Beginning his career in 1991 as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Barry University, he would go on to become the Sunshine State Conference Coach-of-the-Year and made Barry the first team in conference history to make the NCAA tournament. Following this, Olsen once again created a team from its inception at Lynn University saw great success as the head coach there. Following his coaching positions, Olsen began Big “O” Sports Management, which focused on recruitment, development, and placement of professional mens and womens basketball players globally. During this time Olsen travelled the country and reviewed players’ potential to play ball at the next level.
Dawn Plitzuweit - South Dakota
In just four years as Head Coach, Dawn Plitzuweit has positioned her South Dakota Program as a powerhouse on the rise and herself as one of the top rising stars in college basketball. Overall, Plitzuweit boasts an impressive winning percentage of 71.8 percent over her career and an unbelievable 82.1 percent at South Dakota, with 3 Summit League Coach of the Year awards to go along with this. During this past 2019-2020 campaign, Plitzuweit led the program to a 30-2 record and was looking to make a deep NCAA Tournament run had their season not been cut short due to Covid-19. Before SDU she spent four years at Northern Kentucky and five years at Division II Grand Valley State, where she won a DII Championship in 2005-2006. Her impact on the game has been felt immediately and Plitzuweit will continue to be a contender for years to come.
Dawn Staley South Carolina
There are few Division I coaches, in both the men’s and women’s game, that have had the impact Dawn Staley has had as both a player and coach. Upon taking over in 2008, Staley has driven her South Carolina Women’s Program into the national spotlight with a win/loss record of 305-98. During her 12 years with the Gamecocks, she has made the NCAA tournament eight times (would have been nine this year), including seven Sweet 16 appearances, three Elite Eight appearances, two Final Four appearances, and a National Championship. With this, Staley holds three Olympic Gold Medals as a player for team USA and a combined 11 medals in total from coaching/playing in the World Cup, Pan American Games, and more. Before South Carolina Staley spent eight years as the head coach for Temple, where she made the NCAA Tournament six times. Overall, Staley has earned six conference Coach of the Year awards and most recently in 2020 became the recipient of the Naismith National Coach of the Year award, WBCA National Coach of the Year award, AP National Coach of the Year award, and the USBWA National Coach of the Year award. As a player, she is considered a top 15 player of all time as a six time WNBA All Star and two time Naismith College Player of the Year.
Debbie Antonelli - ESPN
Debbie Antonelli is one of the most recognizable faces in the women’s college basketball media. Starting her career in Ohio, Antonelli began broadcasting and doing play by play for the Ohio State women’s basketball team while getting her masters. Now, 30 years later, she acts as an analyst for ESPN, the Big Ten Network, CBS, Fox, and Westwood one. She also covers the Women’s NCAA Tournament, WNBA, and multiple other conference networks. With this, Antonelli is also the main play by play for the ABA team Indiana Fever , which she has been doing since 1996.
Dickson Jensen - All Iowa Attack
In 2004 Dickson Jensen founded the All Iowa Attack basketball program and never looked back. All Iowa Attack is one of 32 Nike EYBL Girls teams and is considered one of the top programs in the country. Since 2004 AIA has sent 204 girls to the next level, including schools such as Stanford, Iowa State, Nebraska, Duke, Illinois, Duke and many more. Jensen’s passion and dedication to what he does have helped the program grow into one of the nation’s top clubs. It represents the desire to promote youth basketball and to establish an arena to develop leaders among the youth in the state of Iowa. Dickson Jensen is also the founder of the Jensen Group enterprise, which includes Jensen Property Management, Jensen Design Build, Jensen Development Corporation, The Harvester Club, and All Iowa Attack Basketball.
Doc Scheppler - Pinewood
With 656 career wins and 6 state championships, Pinewood Head Girls Basketball Coach Doc Scheppler is one of the state’s top coaches of all time. Over his 40 year career, Scheppler has made a tremendous impact on the game of basketball and has helped produce some outstanding college basketball players. Pinewood is not your stereotypical large powerhouse program. It is a small school in Northern California but Scheppler has created a unique winning environment and has positioned himself as one of the top small school coaches in the country.
Donnie Woods - World Exposure WBB
Donnie Woods is the CEO of World Exposure Report, one of the top high school basketball scouting reports in the country. World Exposure is a one stop shot for sports and their work in the WBB world has been greatly impactful. They operate as an NCAA certified scouting service that has gained over 11 thousand followers on twitter and cover nearly every grassroots event nationwide. Woods has over 10 years of college coaching experience and has positioned himself as one of the top scouts in the country and is known for his wide range of coverage.
Doris Burke - ESPN
Doris Burke is widely considered one of the most influential women across all of sports. During her career she has paved the way for women in sports media with her many firsts: the first woman to be a commentator for a New York Knicks game on radio and on television, the first woman to be a commentator for a Big East men’s game, and the first woman to be the primary commentator on a men’s college basketball conference package. Her energy on the NBA sideline, coupled with her amazing knowledge of the game has propelled her into one of the most well recognized faces in the sports media world. She has covered both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments and the WNBA and NBA finals. Burke’s award list includes being inducted into multiple Hall of Fames, such as the Providence College Hall of Fame, the Institute for International Sport's Scholar Athlete Hall of Fame, the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, and North Providence Hall of Fame. She also received the USA Today Rudy Award as the Best New Face in Sports Television, an honorary doctorate degree from Providence College, Silver Anniversary Award, and the 2018 Curt Gowdy Media Award. Her contributions to the game of basketball as both a player and a media member have been astronomical.
Dorothy Gaters - Chicago Marshall
“The Matriarch of Marshall High School” Dorothy Gathers is one of the most successful high school coaches of all time with over 1100 victories and nine state championships. In 2009 Gaters was selected for the Naismith Hall of Fame and she has also been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. During her career she has been selected for over seven times as Coach of the Year by the state of Illinois and she has been named one of Chicago’s top 100 influential women. Her influence on the Chicago community and women’s basketball has been unmatched and she is truly an inspiration for everyone in the basketball world.
Doug Bruno - DePaul
Depaul’s Head Women’s Basketball Coach Doug Bruno is another member of the 600 club with an outstanding 717-347 win/loss record. During his 34 year career, Bruno has only had four losing seasons and has made the NCAA Tournament 24 times and the sweet sixteen four times. With USA Basketball, Bruno has assisted in two Olympic Gold Medals, one FIBA World Championship Gold Medal, a FIBA U-19 Gold and a FIBA U-18 Gold. He has also been a very active member of the WBCA, acting as the president from 2005-2007 and for a year in 2009. All in all, Bruno is one of the winningest active coaches and continues to be a leader in the industry.
Dr. Scott Rogers - Mount Notre Dame
As the Head Women’s Basketball Coach for Mount Notre Dame, Dr. Scott Rogers has won four state championships and most recently finished their season 28-0 before the state tournament was cancelled due to Covid-19. Mount Notre Dame is one of the nation's powerhouse programs in girls high school basketball and consistently produces some of the top players in the country.
Earl Allen - CY Fair EYBL
Earl Allen is the president of CyFair Elite Sports, which is one of the largest girls grassroots programs in the country and an EYBL competitor. CyFair has placed over 107 female athletes in top D1 Universities across the country since 2005. These schools include UCLA, UConn, Stanford, Notre Dame, University of Texas, Kentucky, Duke, Baylor, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn and Cornell and more. Since 2008 CyFair Elite Sports has had 13 athletes who were selected to Team USA, 18 McDonald All-Americans and since 2015, eight athletes have been selected for the Jordan Brand Classic game. Allen is widely respected as one of the top grassroots directors in the south and in the country.
Franklin Oliver - Bishop McNara
As the head girl’s basketball coach for Bishop McNara, Franklin Oliver has seen nothing but success with 7 DCIAA Tournament Championships and well over 300 wins. Bishop McNara is considered one of the top girls programs in the country and has produced multiple Gatorade Players of the Year, All-Americans, and High Major talent. Oliver has been with McNara since 2003 and has helped position the school as a force in girls basketball.
Gary Blair - Texas A&M
With a record of 787-318, Gary Blair is one of the most decorated coaches in women’s basketball. During his 32 years as a head coach, Blair has only had one losing season and has reached the NCAA tournament 23 times, including two trips to the Final Four and a 2011 National Championship. Over his career he has earned 6 conference coach of the year awards, a Basketball Times National Coach of the Year award, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. When he took over for Texas A&M in 2004, Blair suffered his first and only losing season. From there we would go on to 15 straight postseason births (14 straight NCAA Appearances) until Covid-19 cut the 2019-2020 season short.
Geno Auriemma - Uconn
In his 35 years as the head women’s basketball coach at UConn Geno Auriemma has become one of the greatest coaches of all time, across all sports, men’s or women’s. Every aspect of his career has been unbelievable, from his 88.5 winning percentage (1091-142) to his 11 championships. The UConn Huskies have become one of the most successful dynasties in all of sports. When you only have one losing season in 35 years (his first) the awards tend to add up. Auriemma has made the NCAA tournament 31 straight years (not including 2019-2020 Covid cancellation) and during this time has received eights Naismith Coach of the Year awards, seven WBCA National Coach of the Year awards, nine AP National Coach of the Year awards, six USBWA Coach of the Year awards and fifteen conference Coach of the Year awards. Auriemma is also a three time Olympic Gold Medalist and has been inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and received the John Wooden Legend of Coaches award. Aside from personal awards, Auriemma has also been a part of 13 multiple All-American careers and has sent some of the greatest WNBA players of all time to the W.
George Quintero - Storm
Over the past 35 years, George Qunitero has been dedicated to helping athletes through basketball. Beginning as a high school basketball assistant in 1985, Quintero went on to start California Storm in 1997. Since then, Storm has become one of the top girls basketball programs in the country with 14 McDonald's All American players. In 2009, California Storm partnered with WNBA Legend Diana Turasi and became the first girls program in the country to become affiliated with a professional athlete. Quintero has helped hundreds of girls get to the next level of basketball and the California Storm mark can be seen through the college game.
Gordy Presnell - Boise State
As a member of the 600 club, Gordy Presnell holds an impressive record of 691-308 with 295 of those wins coming at the Division I level in Boise. Since his hire at Boise State 16 years ago, Prensell has made the NCAA tournament on six occasions, including four straight and five of the last six. Upon winning the 2019-2020 conference championship, the Broncos became the first program in conference history to win four-straight tournaments (2017-20). Over his 16 years at Boise State, Presnell has recorded only three losing seasons and has guided his program into a top 25 program. Before Boise State, Presnell was one of the most successful Division II coaches in the country while at Seattle Pacific. He won more than 80 percent of his games and made the national tournament 10 out of 11 years.
Heidi VanDerVeer - UC San Diego
Over her nearly 35 year coaching career, Heidi Van Der Veer has been no stranger to success. During her eight seasons as the Head Women’s Basketball coach at UC San Diego, she has won 77.4 percent of her games with a record of 185-55. During this time, the Van Der Veer led UCSD team has made the NCAA DII tournament in all but 2 years. As a Graduate Assistant for the legendary Pat Summitt at Tennessee in 1987, Van Der Veer would help the Lady Vols to a National Championship and a Final Four. From here, she made the jump to the WNBA where she coached for five years as both a head coach and an assistant. From 2002-2012, Van Der Veer spent time coaching in both the WNBA and the college ranks with stints with the Seattle Storm, Stanford, San Francisco, and Division III Occidental. In 2012, she was hired at UC San Diego and has been there ever since.
James Parker - WCG Hoops/Swish
Currently the head coach at Pacifica Christian, James Parker has over 15 years experience coaching and training athletes at all levels from youth to collegiate and professionals. As a trainer, Parker travels nationally working with elite athletes across the country. In addition to his player skill enhancement endeavors, Parker has run one of the most successful NCAA compliant scouting services, West Coast Girls’ Hoops, since 2015. Parker has evaluated and rated over 3,000 prospective student athletes and provides reports to many top universities. He has been able to establish meaningful relationships with top influencers, college coaches, club coaches and scouting services over the years.
Jeff Walz - Louisville
In just 13 years head coach Jeff Walz has turned the Louisville Women’s basketball program into a national powerhouse. Posting only one losing season during this time, Walz has made the NCAA tournament in 12 out of the 13 years, including three Final Four appearances. In just his second season, Walz advanced his Louisville team to the National Championship game, which was the first in program history. Prior to Louisville, Walz helped turn Maryland into a powerhouse as an assistant and won a National Championship with the team in 2006. His 360-103 win-loss record as a head coach has him on a fast track to the 600 club and he will be a hall of fame coach before it’s all said and done.
Jill Noe - Nike EYBL
Starting with Nike Grassroots six years ago, Jill Noe is a crucial part of why the EYBL has become such a powerful force in girls basketball. Noe helps outfit and service 200+ of the top high school basketball programs around the nation during the high school season. In the Spring Noe manages 32 of the top club teams in the country with the EYBL. Through this she provides opportunities for hundreds of girls and helps athletes get recruited by some of the top universities in women’s basketball.
I started in Nike grassroots basketball 6 1/2 years ago. My role is extensive in that I help outfit and service 200+ of the top high school basketball programs around the nation during the high school season. I switch gears in the spring and manage 32 of the top girls club teams around the country in the EYBL. Our goal is to provide the best platform to get all of those girls competing in our league a college scholarship.
Joe Fenelon -NYG Hoops
For over 10 years Joe Fenelon has been one of the top scouts for girls basketball and has provided outstanding coverage nationwide. Starting with Rivals, Fenelon received instant positive feedback for his coverage of the game, which blossomed relationships with other top girls basketball networks such as Blue Star Basketball. Now, Fenelon runs the NYG Hoops Report, one of the top scouting services on the East Coast. His focus on local talent is refreshing and while he could cover players from everywhere, NYG Hoops Report focuses on providing exposure for those close to home.
Joe Foley - Little Rock
Joe Foley holds an impressive win/loss record of 766-243 as a college head coach. Since jumping to the Division I ranks with Little Rock in 2003, Foley has gone 333-174 and has made the NCAA tournament six times. His Little Rock teams have won an impressive five conference tournament championships and have held 20 win seasons in 12 out of the last13 years. Before Little Rock Foley was a two time NAIA champion with Arkansas Tech and made the NCAA DII or NAIA tournament a combined 14 times.
Joe McKeown - Northwestern
Over his 34 years as a head coach, Joe McKeown has won almost 70 percent of his games, made the NCAA Tournament 17 times, won four conference championships, won 11 regular season championships, and has received six conference coach of the year awards. His 684 wins puts him as a member of the 600 club and over his career, Foley has only had four losing seasons. In 2015, he won a gold medal while coaching Team USA at the World University games in South Korea. This past season his Northwestern team surprised everyone by sharing the Big Ten Title with Maryland after ESPN picked them to finish in the bottom half of the 14 team league. McKeown’s consistency and success over a long career has been outstanding.
Premier Basketball
Joey Simmons - Premier Basketball CEO
Joey Simmons has been one of the most influential people in grassroots basketball for 40 years. Whether it be as a coach or running Premier Basketball, Simmons has impacted the lives of thousands of young athletes. As a coach, he has helped over 100 girls reach the Division I level, four of whom have ended up in the WNBA. His Texas Elite and Texas Express programs have been considered some of the top in the country and at the high school level, Simmons saw much success with Nolan Catholic. As the CEO of Premier Basketball, Simmons oversees one of the largest girls basketball event operators and one of the top scouting organizations in the country. Simmons is a McDonald's All American committee member and a regional director of Adidas Grassroots.
Premier Basketball Report
A branch of Premier Basketball, the Premier Basketball Report is one of the top scouting services in the country for girl’s basketball. The Scout team is made of three impressive members in Shane Laflin, Jason Key, and Mark Wiliams
Shane Laflin - Director
Shane Laflin is currently the director of PBR and a national scout for the organization. He has experience at multiple levels of college basketball and is currently a member of the McDonald's All-American Committee and Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors. A branch of Premier Basketball, the Premier Basketball Report is one of the top scouting services in the country for girl’s basketball
Jason Key - National Scout
Jason Key is a National Scout for PBR and a member of the McDonald’s All-American Committee. He has experience coaching hundreds of kids from the third grade level all the way up to the elite levels of high school basketball. A branch of Premier Basketball, the Premier Basketball Report is one of the top scouting services in the country for girl’s basketball.
Mark Williams - International/National Scout
Mark Williams is PBR’s International scout and has had much success hosting and scouting camps in Australia, New Zealand, and various other countries around the world. Williams has been coaching on the grassroots level for over seven years. A branch of Premier Basketball, the Premier Basketball Report is one of the top scouting services in the country for girl’s basketball.
John McGraw - Insider Exposure
With nearly 30 years of basketball experience John McGraw has evaluated some of the countries top talent. His career in basketball started as a student manager for John Calipari at the University of Massachusetts in the early 1990s. From there his move to NYC in 1999 and his love for basketball pushed him into the grassroots scene where he was asked to coach a budding girls team that eventually became a part of Exodus-NYC. With Exodus, McGraw started Big Apple Recruiting and the Big Apple Tournament of Champions, one of the top recruiting events on the East Coast during the mid-late 2000's. After a 3 year run as the recruiting coordinator at Marshall University, McGraw founded Insider Exposure, which features marquee exposure events like Apache Memorial, ATL Summer Slam and Hoosier Heat. IE currently runs about 25 events per year including some unique offerings like the Jr. All American Camp, the annual Final Four Pro Combine, and the Independent School National Championship.
John Tate - WPA Bruins GUAA
John Tate is the Executive Director for the WPA Bruins, a Girls Under Armour Association Program. The WPA Bruins are one of the country's top grassroots organizations and have a history of producing extremely talented players. Over the years, WPAB has seen 7 of their alumni play professionally and has helped send nearly 100 girls to the next level. Now competing on the GUAA, WPAB will continue to impact the lives of hundreds of girls.
Kara Lawson - Duke
Whether it be as a player, media member, or coach, Kara Lawson has made a tremendous impact on the game of basketball. Coached by the legendary Pat Summitt, Lawson had an electric career at Tennessee. After College she went on to win a WNBA Championship in 2005 and an Olympic Gold Medal with the Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While playing in the WNBA Lawson began her broadcasting career as a studio analyst for the Sacramento Kings. From there she worked her way into multiple NBA and WNBA broadcasting roles for ESPN and on January 12th she became the first woman to work as a nationwide broadcast analyst for an NBA game during a Pelicans vs Wizards matchup. Also in 2017, she was named the primary television game analyst for the Washington Wizards. In 2019 Lawson joined the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach. Most recently she has accepted the head coaching position for the Duke Blue Devils women's program.
Karen Weitz Centennial High School/ Las Vegas Bulldogs
There are few high school coaches who have had the career that Karen Weitz has had at Centennial. With over 600 wins she has turned Southern Las Vegas into a hotspot for girls basketball and has been dominant not only in her state, but on a national level as well. Each year the Bulldogs send multiple girls to the high major ranks and her impact can be felt in many DI conferences. On the Grassroots level, Weitz has built an impressive youth program with the Vegas Bulldogs, one that is the longest lasting program in LV.
Karen Self - Seton Catholic Prep
There is no doubt that Karen Self is one of the most successful girls high school basketball coaches in the country. With 11 state championships (the most of any coach in Arizona basketball history) and well over 700 wins, Self has turned Seton Catholic into a girls basketball powerhouse. During her Hall of Fame career, Self has been the recipient of a NFHS Coach of the Year award, the Spirit of Cotton Award, and the 4A-6A Coach of the Year award.
Kathy Delaney-Smith - Harvard
For the last 38 years there has only been one captain of the Harvard Women’s Basketball, Kathy Delaney-Smith. During this time, Smith led her program to 585 wins, eight WNIT appearances, and six NCAA appearances. Her most notable win came against Stanford in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, which was the first time in men’s or women’s history a 16 seed beat a 1 seed in the Tournament. Aside from her outstanding coaching career, Smith has been an amazing advocate for women’s rights in sports and gender equality. She has made a lasting impact on the game as a whole and her presence will continue to be felt.
Kelly Graves - Oregon
Starting at the junior college ranks, Kelly Graves has become one of the most successful coaches in college basketball and has shown his unique ability to quickly turn a program around. During his 23 year DI head coaching career Graves has won over 70 percent of his games with a win/loss record of 532-215. Over this stretch his teams have appeared in 11 NCAA tournaments (would have been 12 this year) and won seven conference championships. Graves has won 10 conference coach of the year awards and has coached some of the best players in NCAA history, including Sabrina Ionescu, the only NCAA Division I basketball player to record 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career. Over his career Graves has only had three losing seasons, all of which came during the rebuilding years of his programs. He will soon become a member of the 600 club and is a future Hall of Famer.
Kelly Sopak - Cal Stars EYBL
Since starting the Cal Stars in 2006, Kelly Sopak has turned the program into a grassroots powerhouse and has sent over 250 girls to the next level. As one of 32 EYBL teams, the Stars program has been home to some of the top players in the country and has had players in the many of the top conferences. Aside from club teams, Sopak also runs high level tournaments on the West Coast and has had much success at Miramonte as the head high school coach. His impact on girls basketball in the West has been second to none.
Kenneth Parnell Rose Classic
Kenneth has spent more than 10 years contributing to women's basketball and it's culture. He has been a part of nationally recognized basketball organizations including Rose Classic, Conrad McRae Youth League, Made Hoops/Rose League, and SLAM Summer Classic. He has used his platform to build relationships with coaches at all levels to help young women in pursuing their educational and athletic dreams. As Kenneth continues to work on growing the culture and upholding the value of women's basketball he also has goals in developing was to enhance the sport through the use of technology and analytics.
Kevin Borseth - Green Bay
During his 30 plus years as a head coach, Kevin Borseth has won an impressive 684 games with 477 of these coming at the Division I level. Bortheth’s teams have reached the NCAA tournament 13 times and 12 Horizon League Conference Tournament championships. Borseth is known for his passion, a passion that has led him to receive eight conference Coach of the Year awards and most definitely a future Hall of Fame bid. At the Division II level, Borseth won nearly 70 percent of his games with seven trips to the NCAA tournament.
Kevin Kiernan - Mater Dei
Kebin Kiernan is one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in the country on both the boys and girls side and has turned his Mater Dei girls program into a national powerhouse. Reaching the impressive milestone of 800 career wins this past 2020 season, Kiernan has cemented himself as an all time great. In his career he has won 29 league titles, 11 CIF titles, six state titles and two national championships. There are few coaches across all levels of the game who have been as consistent as coach Kiernan.
Kim Barnes Arico - Michigan
During her almost 20 years as a Division I head coach, Kim Barnes-Arico has won 65 percent of her games with 353 total wins. In total, she has an impressive 447 wins as a college head coach and has made the NCAA tournament seven times. Barnes-Arico has won 20 plus games each year since arriving at Michigan and has brought the Wolverines to the postseason each time, which includes a 2016-2017 WNIT championship. She has won three conference Coach of the Year awards and two MBWA COY awards. She has quickly turned Michigan into a top 25 program and shows no signs of slowing down.
Kim Mulkey - Baylor
Kim Mulkey’s Hall of Fame career as a coach and a player has been nothing short of amazing. Since its inception, Mulkey has been a part of the NCAA tournament every year except for two. As a coach, Her 604 -100 record puts her at an unbelievable 85 percent winning percentage and during her 20 years at Baylor, she has never missed a postseason. With this, Mulkey has never ended a season with fewer than 20 wins and is one of only three coaches with three National Championships. Also, she is the only person to have won an NCAA Championship as a player, assistant coach, and a head coach. Mulkey has won seven Big 12 COY awards, two WBCA COY awards, three USBWA COY awards, and two AP College Basketball COY awards. It is fair to say that Mulkey is one of the most decorated people in Basketball history.
Kim Powell - Roundball Academy / Essence EYBL
Kim Powell is one of the most influential people in the grassroots space. Her Essence Girls Basketball program has been operating for 23 years and has produced more than 250 college athletes. Of these, Essence has had 20 All-Americans, four gold medalists, 35 pros, 15 WNBA players, 150 Division I players, and 50 Power conference athletes. With Roundball Academy, Powell operates elite grassroots events in the South.
LaChina Robinson - ESPN
LaChina Robinson is one of the most recognizable faces in women’s basketball media and is one of ESPNs top college basketball analysts. For the past 11 years Robinson has been calling college games for ESPN, Fox, and FS South. While Robinson shines in front of the camera, some of her most impressive work has been behind the scenes as a leader and advocate for women in sports. She has been a part of and led many leadership forums such as the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Females, NCAA Regional Leadership Conferences, NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference, and more. She is an amazIng role model for young women around the country and her contributions to the athletic community have been huge.
Lamar Rogers - Clark Range
With over 1200 career wins, Lamar Rogers is one of the most successful high school girl’s basketball coaches of all time. During his storied career Rogers has won eight state championships and has sent over 50 girls to the college level. His consistency over the last 40 plus years has been truly amazing and with fewer than 300 losses, Rogers’ win/loss ratio is one of the best of all time.
Lisa Bluder - Iowa
With 36 years of experience and 773 wins, Lisa Bluder is one of the most successful college coaches of all time. She has made the NCAA Tournament an impressive 17 times and has only had three losing seasons. At Iowa, where she has been for the past 20 years, Bluder competed in postseason play in all but one year and has built the Hawkeyes into a top 25 contenter year in and year out. During her career she has won multiple Big Ten tournament championships, a Naismith National COY award and a gold medal from the 2001 World University Games in Beijing. A future Hall of Famer, Bluder has had a spectacular career and continues to impact the game each year.
Lisa Stockton - Tulane
During her almost 30 year head coaching career Lisa Stockton has made a habit out of wining with an impressive record of 585-313. With Tulane she has made an appearance in the NCAA tournament 11 times, won five C-USA Tournament Championships, received two Louisiana Coach of the Year awards and two C-USA Coach of the Year awards. Stockton is one of three active coaches to take a Top 40 academic institution to 11 NCAA Tournaments. By the end of her career Stockton will join the 600 club and will undoubtedly be recognized in the Hall of Fame. As a player, Stockton was extremely impressive at Wake Forest and chose to pursue her coaching career instead of playing professional after being drafted WNBA.
Marisa Moseley - Boston University
While she is new to the head coaching ranks, Marisa Moseley is a five time champion as an assistant coach. Prior to joining her alma mater Boston University, where she has jumped off to an outstanding start, Moseley was an assistant for Geno Auriemma at UConn. During her time there she never missed an NCAA tournament and coached 11 All-Americans. In 2012 Moseley was an assistant coach for Team USA during the Gold Medal run at the London Olympics. In 2019 she was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year as she led BU to their best season in program history. Moseley is off to a hot start at BU and is on the rise to become one of the top coaches in the country.
GUAA & Select Events Basketball
Alex Garfinkle
Alex Garfinkle is a managing partner and dynamic part of Select Event Basketball and it's rise in the Girls Basketball community. Garfinkle got his start with Zero Gravity Basketball in 2012 and assisted in ZG's takeover of youth basketball along the East Coast, specifically growing their circuit from Delaware on south. During his span with ZG the company grew from 30 events annually in the Northeast to over 150 events throughout the country. After six great years with Zero Gravity, Garfinkle and his counterpart Matt got their opportunity to launch the Girls Under Armour Circuit. Garfinkle helped design concepts behind the circuit including locations, facilities, schedule, format and many of the other behind the scenes aspects that go into successful events for the teams, players and college coaches. The circuit was a tremendous success and included some of the top teams and players in the country and was highlighted by a one of a kind championship event that was attended by over 500 college coaches from around the country.In just two short years Alex and Matt have grown Select Events to operate over 40 events across the country including some of the largest Girls Exposure events in the Northeast.
Matt Shockett
Matt Shocket in a short period of time has become one of the most influential Girls Basketball Event Operators in the country. Starting in the industry in 2012 with Zero Gravity Basketball, Matt was an integral part of ZG's growth throughout the Tri-State Region (CT, NY, NJ) for five years.
In his two years with the Adidas circuit, Matt helped recruit new top teams and players to the circuit, bringing the circuit to a whole new level. It wasn't long before Matt got his shot to start a brand new circuit and in 2018-2019 he was the predominant figure behind the launch of the Girls UAA circuit which caught the whole Girls Basketball Landscape by storm. The 2019 season was a tremendous success that featured 8 McDonald's All Americans in the 2020 class. Presently, Matt is now responsible for over 40 events annually throughout many different demographics. Matt's business Select Events runs the largest Girls Exposure Events on the East Coast as well as the Girls UAA. Matt is just getting started and will continue to be one of the hardest workers in the industry each year. I'd expect to see a lot more from him in the years to come.
Melissa Hearlihy - Harvard Westlake
With over 700 wins, Melissa Hearlihy is one of the winningest coaches in CA basketball history. With 17 league titles, six CIF championships and a State Championship, Hearlihy has made a habit out of success on the basketball court and over her career has helped produce some of the top talent to come out of the West Coast. Most recently, Hearlihy has coached the top ten player in the country, Kiki Irafen. Herlihy has helped girls attend many division I schools to play basketball and she has proven herself to be one of the top High School basketball coaches in the country.
Michelle Chevalier - West Coast Elite
Michelle Chevalier has over 20 years of coaching experience in both the high school, club, and junior college ranks. Most recently, Chevalier helped start the West Coast Elite GUAA program, competing nationally as one of the top teams in the country. As the head coach at Sylmar and Chatsworth, Chevalier is the first coach to lead two different Los Angeles City-Section girls varsity basketball programs to the L.A City-Section Championship. In 2005 Chevalier Founded BBG Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization that creates opportunities for girls to hone their basketball skills in addition to developing many life-skills through sport. BBG which stands for Blessed By God, continues to provide opportunities for girls to develop and showcase their basketball skills while aspiring to further their basketball career beyond high school. Currently, Chevalier is the Head Coach at Pierce College.
Adidas 3SSB
The girls Adidas circuit has been home to some of the best players in the country and has created a competitive environment for some top programs such as Indiana Elite, Minnesota Stars, Troop West, and more.
Mike Barnett
Mike Barnett has been in sports marketing with Adidas since 2003 and has been instrumental in the success of Adidas on the girls grassroots stage.
JC Hulls
JC Hulls has been the Event Coordinator for Adidas for the past 7 years and has helped make the Adidas circuit into one of the most exciting environments in girls basketball year in and year out.
Mo Motton - FBC
Mo Motton is the Director of Finest Basketball Club, which is currently apart of the Girls Under Armour Association. FBC might be the top grassroots program in the country following the 2019-2020 GUAA circuit after sending four girls to the McDonald’s All-American game and winning the GUAA FInals. They have produced athletes at Kentucky, UConn, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Texas, and many, many more. Multiple of their girls have gone on to have careers in the WNBA and represent America for Team USA.
Nancy Fahey - Illinois
When you think of Division III women’s basketball one name comes to mind, Nancy Fahey. During her 31 years at Washington University, Fahey won 737 games and five National Championships. Her teams competed in the DIII NCAA tournament in every year but two and she won an impressive 23 UAA Conference Championships. Fahey is a two time WBCA Coach of the Year award winner and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2017 Fahey jumped to the Division I level becoming the head coach for Illinois. Taking over for a rebuild, Fahey has shown improvement with each of her first three years.
Nate Sadler - Banshees GUAA
Nate Sadler is the director of the Arkansas Banshees, which is a member of the Girls Under Armour Association. The Banshees are one of the top grassroots programs in the country and have helped send 26 girls to the Division I level in just the past three years, not including their 2020 class. The Banshees proved to be a national powerhouse with their performance on the circuit this year and will continue to impact the game.
Nic Levy - Wisconsin Flight Elite GUAA
Nic Levy is the founder and CEO of Wisconsin Flight Elite, a Girls Under Armour Association program. Flight Elite has become one of the most prolific grassroots programs in girls basketball. Over the past three years they have sent 21 girls to the division I level, including Iowa state, Minnesota, Penn State, Auburn, and more. In total they have helped more than 35 girls earn college scholarships over the past three years. Now a member of the GUAA, Flight Elite proved to be a contender in the circuit's first year and will continue to produce top talent for years to come.
Nicc Jackson - EGB / WCU 3SSB
For the past 15 years Nicc Jackson has been a prominent figure in girls grassroots basketball, both as a coach, evaluator, and media member. His scouting service, Elite Girls Basketball or EGB has become one of the top services in the country and Nicc evaluates some of the top girls athletes in the nation. EGB is also responsible for some of the top girls events in the country and his focus on middle school space has helped many young athletes jump start their careers. Nicc is also the founder of West Coast United, an Adidas 3SSB program out of Las Vegas.
Niele Ivey - Notre Dame
While Nicole Ivey has just received her first head coaching position, the new Notre Dame head coach has seen much success on the court. After her playing career ended in 2005 Ivey started coaching immediately as an admin assistant for Xavier. From here she was hired by legendary coach Muffett McGraw (whom she had played for years earlier) as an assistant, a position she would keep until McGraw’s retirement this year. During her time at ND as an assistant/associate head coach, Ivey helped the Fighting Irish to seven Final Four appearances and a National Championship. Ivey has never missed an NCAA tournament, both as a player and a coach. With a championship as a player and an assistant, she is now on a mission to complete the trifecta and win as a head coach.
Ochiel Swaby - Miami Country Day
With close to 400 wins, six state championships, and two National Championships, Ochiel Swaby has put together an amazing career this far. The 2019 Jersey Mike's Naismith and USA Today High School Sports National High School Girls' Coach of the Year award winner has turned his Miami Country Day girl program into a national powerhouse and shows no signs of slowing down.
Quentin Hillsman - Syracuse
As the head coach for the past 14 years, Quentin Hillsman has appeared in eight NCAA tournaments and boasts a record of 304-160 (.655). During this stretch Hillsman has only had one losing season, which came during his first year after taking over for a program that had lost more than half of its games the previous three seasons. Since year one, he has only missed the postseason one time and brought the Orange to their first ever championship game in 2015. Hilsman is on a hall of fame path and will surely join the 600 club before it is all said and done.
Ramona Shelburne - NBA Insider ESPN
Ramona Shelburne is one of the most recognizable media members in the basketball world and has made an amazing career as an NBA insider and a senior writer for ESPN. Her contributions include coverage on ESPN.com, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Radio, and SportsCenter. She is a member of ESPN’s premiere long-form and investigative unit across multiple platforms and co-host of Beadle & Shelburne, the national radio show. Shelburne is a trailblazer in the industry and an outstanding role model for women in sports.
Ray Caldwell San Antonio's Finest 3SSB
SA FInest Founder Ray Caldwell has had experience coaching at every level of the game from youth to high major DI and professional training. On the girls side, SA Finest (now an Adidas 3SSB program) has produced 5 All-Americans in Recee’ Caldwell, Amber Ramierez, Kiana Willaims, NaLyssa Smith, and Nyah Green. Since 2013, SAF has sent nearly 100 girls to the college level and they have shown to be a national powerhouse in grassroots basketball.
Rhonda Farney - Georgetown HS
Rhonda Farney is one of the winningest coaches in girls basketball history with close to 1200 wins. During her 32 year career, Farnye has sent close to 100 girls to the college level, a feat that is rarely seen from a high school program. Farney has received the NFHSC National Coach of the Year award (2013), is a seven-time Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Victory Club award recipient and was inducted into the Texas Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Ron James - Team Takeover EYBL
Ron James is the director for the girls Team Takeover girls program. Originally known for their prolific boys program, James has built the girls side into one of the best grassroots programs in the country. Most recently winning the Girls EYBL, Team Takeover is producing some of the most talented players nationally and has been a force in HS basketball.
Russ Davis - Cal Swish/Vanguard
Russ Davis is one of the winningest coaches in NAIA women's basketball and was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2017. Davis has an 80 percent winning percentage at Vanguard and has been to the NAIA National Tournament 19 times, winning the whole thing in 2008. Aside from being the head coach at Vanguard, Davis has also helped build the Cal Swish EYBL program into a nationally recognized grassroots organization. His Cal Swish program has produced 10 High School All-Americans and sent hundreds of girls to the college level, including 11 players drafted to the WNBA.
Scott Johnson - WV Thunder GUAA
Scott Johnson is the director of the West Virginia Thunder grassroots basketball program. WV Thunder is one of the top grassroots organizations in the country with girls across all levels of college basketball. Johnson has been a part of WV Thunder for the last 15 years and continues to show that he is one of the leaders in girls grassroots basketball.
Sherri Coale - Oklahoma
Since taking over the program in 1996, Hall of Fame Coach Sherri Coale has turned Oklahoma into one of the nation's most successful women’s basketball programs. Over her career Coale has won 501 games and appeared in 19 NCAA tournaments, including nine Sweet Sixteens and three Final Fours. Coale has won six Big-12 Regular Season Championships and four Big 12 Tournament Championships. She has only had four losing seasons at Oklahoma, two of which came in her first two seasons and for 18 years she did not miss an NCAA tournament. In 2013 Coale won a gold medal at the Kazan World University Games. Coale is only 5-6 seasons away from joining the 600 club.
Steve Klees NW Blazers GUAA
Sue Philips Archbishop Mitty/ San Jose Cagers
During her 26 year career Sue Phillips has become one of the top high school coaches in the country. Her impressive resume at Archbishop Mitty includes 668 wins, 23 league titles, 20 Central Coast Section titles, 12 Northern California titles, 6 CIF State Championships and the 2018 National Championship. Also in 2018, Phillips was named the Naismith & WBCA National Coach of the Year. Phillips has also made an impact at the national level with USA Basketball, acting as the head coach for the U17 team. She has won two gold medals with Team USA, one during the 2013 FIBA Americas and the other at the 2014 World Championships.
Sue Semrau Florida State
In her 23 years at Florida State, Susan Semrau has put together an impressive list of accomplishments, including 475 wins, 14 seasons with 20 wins, and 15 NCAA tournament appearances. As the all time winningest coach at Florida State, Semrau has been the ACC Coach of the Year three times, named the United States Marine Corps/WBCA Division I National Coach of the Year, named the Kay Yow Heart Coach of the Year, and was the 2015 AP College Basketball Coach of the Year. With USA Basketball, Semrau has two gold medals, first in 2010 at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship and then in 2011 at the FIBA U19 World Championship.
Tara VanDerveer - Stanford
Stanford’s Hall of Fame head women’s basketball coach Tara Vanderver is one of the most decorated coaches in all of basketball. During her 42 year career as a college coach, VanDerveer has won an astonishing 1094 games with only 253 losses. VanDerveer has coached in every NCAA tournament except for two, adding up to 34 trips, 12 Final Fours, and two National Championships. At Stanford, where she has spent most of her career, VanDerveer has won 25 Pac-12 Championships and been named the National Coach of the Year four times. In 2014 she received the John Wooden Legend of Coaches Award and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. For Team USA, VanDerveer coached and won the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and won two other gold medals during the 1994 Goodwill games and the 1991 World University Games. There are 21 coaches (past and present) who are a part of VanderVeer’s coaching tree, including names just as Charli Tuner-Thorne and Charmin Smith.
Terri Bamford La Jolla Country Day/ San Diego Waves GUAA
Four time state champion, Teri Bamford, has turned La Jolla Country Day School’s Women’s Basketball program into a national perennial power. During her time there, Bamford has won 533 games, 15 league titles, and 15 San Diego Section CIF titles. Before the season ended due to Covid, LJCDS was looking to make a state championship and national title run. From a player standpoint Bamford has sent over 40 girls to the Division I level, including three All-Americans in Candace Wiggins, Kelsey Plum, and Te-Hina PaoPao. Plum and Wiggins would go on to become two of the most successful college players of all time and WNBA stars. Bamford has been the recipient of many Coach of the Year awards including the 2020 Jersey Mike's Naismith Coach of the Year and the Pat Summitt Trophy. In the Grassroots world, Bamford runs the highly competitive San Diego Waves, A GUAA program.
Thomas Davis - Exodus EYBL
Thomas Davis is the Program Director for Exodus Basketball. Established in 1998, Exodus has become one of the top grassroots programs in the country. They have sent over 200 players to the college level, including three pros in the WNBA: Epiphanny Prince, Kia Vaughn, and Samantha Prahalis. Exodus is currently one of 32 teams competing in the EYBL.
Tina Langley - Rice University
Since taking over at Rice five years ago, Tina Langley has shown that she is one of the top head coaches in the country. With four 20 win seasons in a row, Langley has put Rice into the national spotlight and has guided them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance, first regular season conference championship and first conference tournament championship since 2005. Before Rice, Langley was the assistant and associate head coach for powerhouse program Maryland. Overall in her career Langley has coached 43 All-Conference players, led her teams to 14 postseason appearances, and has developed 20-plus professional players, including 12 WNBA draft picks.
Tom Insell - NEB / TN Flight EYBL
Tom Insell is the CEO of Tennessee Flight, one of the nation's top girls basketball grassroots programs. TN Flight has sent over 400 girls to play basketball at the next level, including 15 future pros. Some notable names to come out of TN Flight are Schacobia Barbee, LaSondra Barrett, Crystal Dangerfield, Kaela Davis, Stefanie Dolson, Victoria Dunlap, Bashaara Graves, Isabelle Harrison, Jasmine Hassell, Jasmine James, Ariel Massengale, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Natalie Novosel, and Bianca Thomas.
Tony Dorado - Nike
Tony has worked at Nike, Inc in Beaverton, OR for the past 25 years as the National lManager of High School Basketball overseeing all the sponsorships and relationships of
the country’s top high school basketball programs and tournaments. Prior to joining Nike, he was a head basketball coach for 11 years at high schools in California and Oregon. As a coach, Tony left Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, California as the winningest boys’ basketball coach in the school’s history and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2015. Tony has been a featured speaker at basketball camps in the U.S. as well as camps in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Japan and Mozambique. In addition to his day job, in 2003 he founded Lay-Ups, a non-competitive, introductory basketball league for K-2nd graders. For the past 17 years, Lay-Ups has provided an opportunity for over 15,000 kids to learn the game while exercising and having fun.
Tucker Neale - Ohio Basketball
Tucker Neale is the founder of Ohio Basketball, one of the nations top youth basketball event operators. Ohio Basketball serves more than 75,000 athletes and over 5000 teams each year. With this Neale has also operated his grassroots program, Score More Athletic Club, which has sent hundreds of players (both boys and girls) to the next level, including close to 50 pros.
Vanessa Nygaard - Windward
Vanessa Nygaard has made her mark at every level of the game as a prolific player and now successful coach. Currently the head coach at Windward, Nygaard has become one of the quickest coaches in CA history to reach 200 wins and she most recently grabbed the 2019-2020 Coach of the Year award. Nygaard is also very involved with USA Basketball, serving as the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s U17 World Cup Team that won a gold medal and earned a 7-0 record at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup this past summer in Belarus. As a player, Nygaard helped Stanford to three Final Four appearances and lost only 14 games in total. From here she went on to play six seasons in the WNBA. Nygaard is one of the top rising coaches in America.
Vic Schaefer - Texas
Since starting his head coaching career in 1990, Vic Schaefer has been one of the most successful coaches in the country. With a career record of 301-172, his run with Mississippi State was truly impressive. Schaefer won nearly 80 percent of his games with the Bulldogs, leading them to five NCAA tournaments and two national championship games. During his eight years at Mississippi State Schaefer has won three conference COY awards, a WBCA National COY award, and in 2018, the Naismith Women’s College COY award. Now at texas, Schefer is one of the coaches in the nation.
Wes Moore - NC State
With 725 wins as a head college coach Wes Moore is one of the winningest coaches in the country. Since making the jump from the DIII level to the DI level, Moore has appeared in 13 NCAA appearances and won 10 conference championships. During his career Moore has posted only one losing season and has ended 26 years with 20 or more wins. Moore has also won seven conference Coach of the Year awards, most recently in the ACC during the 2017 season.
