South Carolina's Dawn Staley, a past winner, nominated for Coach of the Year for eighth time.

South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley is a finalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award for the eighth time. Staley, a four-time winner, has led the Gamecocks to three consecutive SEC titles and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they reached the Sweet 16. The team boasts 12 wins over ranked opponents, including seven against top-10 teams.