| Kay Yow Award | |
|---|---|
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| Awarded for | the nation's top women's coach in NCAA Division I basketball who also displays great character off the court |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Collegeinsider.com |
| First awarded | 2010 |
| Currently held by | Carly Thibault-DuDonis |
| Website | https://www.kayyowaward.com |
The Kay Yow National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the women's college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition who displays great character both on and off the court. The award was established in 2010 and is named for legendary women's head coach Kay Yow, who coached at NC State from 1975 to 2009 before succumbing to stage 4 breast cancer. Yow was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 but still continued to coach until the illness forced her to take a medical leave of absence in early 2009. Yow accumulated over 700 wins as a head coach, and also led the United States women's basketball team to an Olympic gold medalin1988.[1]
The award is presented to the coach who has exhibited great personal character both as a coach and as a person. A committee of 26 members, ranging from women's basketball analysts, former and current head coaches, and Yow's three siblings (sisters Deborah and Susan, and brother Ronnie), chooses the winner among a field of finalists.[2]
| * | Awarded the Naismith College Coach of the Year the same season |
| Coach (X) | Denotes the number of times the coach has been awarded the Kay Yow Award |
| Year | Coach | School | Record | Postseason result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Connie Yori* | Nebraska | 32–2 | NCAA Sweet 16 | [3] |
| 2010–11 | Matt Bollant | Green Bay | 34–2 | NCAA Sweet 16 | [4] |
| 2011–12 | Karl Smesko | Florida Gulf Coast | 29–3 | NCAA first round | [5] |
| 2012–13 | Katie Abrahamson-Henderson | Albany | 27–4 | NCAA first round | [6] |
| 2013–14 | David Six | Hampton | 28–4 | NCAA first round | [7] |
| 2014–15 | Tricia Fabbri | Quinnipiac | 31–4 | NCAA first round | [7] |
| 2015–16 | Brian Boyer | Arkansas State | 27–6 | WNIT second round | [7] |
| 2016–17 | Maureen Magarity | New Hampshire | 26–6 | WNIT first round | [7] |
| 2017–18 | Sue Guevara | Central Michigan | 30–5 | NCAA Sweet 16 | [8] |
| 2018–19 | Kellie Harper | Missouri State | 25–10 | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | [9] |
| 2019–20 | Brian Giorgis | Marist | 26–4 | Canceled | [10] |
| 2020–21 | Jarrod Olson | California Baptist | 26–1 | WNIT Quarterfinal | [11] |
| 2021–22 | Dawn Plitzuweit | South Dakota | 29–6 | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | [12] |
| 2022–23 | Teri Moren | Indiana | 28–4 | NCAA second round | [13] |
| 2023–24 | Carly Thibault-DuDonis | Fairfield | 31–2 | NCAA first round | [14] |
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Kay Yow Award winners
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U.S. women's college basketball awards
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| Player awards |
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| Head coach awards |
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| Other awards |
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