PHOENIX — Vanderbilt’s Shea Ralph was named The Associated Press women’s college basketball coach of the year Thursday after turning the Commodores into one of the nation’s top teams.
Ralph led a team that returned just one starter to the most successful season in program history. The Commodores went 29-5, with 13 of those wins coming in the regular season against a rugged Southeastern Conference schedule. The Commodores finished tied for second in the league, which matched the best showing in program history, and they earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Division I tournament and reached the Sweet 16.
“It’s wild. It’s hard to wrap my mind around it. This whole year we haven’t slowed down,” Ralph — a former University of Connecticut guard and assistant who took over in Nashville five years ago — told the AP. “I love basketball, I love the group that I coach. I love they stayed with me. It’s been hard and it’s been challenging, but in a good way.”
Ralph received the award with her entire Vanderbilt coaching staff as well as her mom, husband and daughter in attendance. It was also special for Ralph with her UConn family there as well, with the Huskies there to celebrate AP women’s college basketball player of the year Sarah Strong.
Ralph received 23 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll each week. UCLA’s Cori Close, who was the AP pick last season, was next with four. Ralph’s mentor at UConn, Geno Auriemma, received two votes, while Mark Kellogg of West Virginia and Kara Lawson of Duke each received one.