NASHVILLE — Vanderbilt women’s basketball coach Shea Ralph has agreed to a contract extension after her fifth season with the program proved the best so far, with the Commodores advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division I tournament and Ralph winning the AP’s coach of the year award for her sport.
Athletic director Candice Storey Lee announced the extension Wednesday. Lee noted Ralph was hired just after the university launched the Vandy United program to renovate athletic facilities as part of a commitment to compete at the highest levels.
“She has delivered on that vision and is the right leader to keep elevating our women’s basketball program while inspiring our broader community as we set the standard for women’s athletics,” Lee said in a Vanderbilt release. “Her well-deserved recognition only reinforces what we see every day — she makes teams better, empowers women and brings people together.”
Terms of Ralph’s extension were not announced by the Nashville university, which is a private school.
Ralph, a 48-year-old North Carolina native, led a team that returned only one starter to the most successful season in program history.