ATLANTA – The Atlanta Tipoff Club narrowed down its list to 10 semifinalists for the 2019 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year on Tuesday. A year after being a top-four finalist for the award, Karen and Kevin Keyes Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw is once again in the hunt. Coach McGraw will look to attain her fourth Naismith award after winning in 2001, 2013 and 2014.
Coach McGraw and the No. 3 nationally ranked Fighting Irish have certainly bolstered their resume as of late. Notre Dame has gone 30-3 overall on the year on the nation’s No. 1 strength of schedule, achieving the No. 1 ranked RPI.
The Irish went 14-2 in league play to win their sixth straight ACC regular season title, in the nation’s No. 1 rated RPI conference. Next, the Irish went on to regain the ACC Tournament crown, their fifth in six years.
Notre Dame not only boasts the most RPI top 25 victories with 12, but also doubles the next best teams in Louisville (7), Oregon (6) and Baylor (6). Coach McGraw’s Irish also have earned the most AP ranked top 25 wins (10) and top 10 wins (4).
The list will be narrowed to four finalists on March 21, and fans will be able to support their favorite women’s college coach by visiting naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 22-April 3, to cast their ballot. The fan vote will account for five percent of the overall final vote. The 2019 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year will be announced on April 6, and the winner will be honored at their school at a later date.
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