2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List
20 coaches representing 13 conferences named to preseason watch list
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HOPEWELL, N.J. (October 29, 2025) — We are proud to announce the 20-person watch list for the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats. This is the third season of the award, named after the legendary former Harvard head coach. Richmond’s Aaron Roussell was named the award’s second winner in 2025. This year’s watch list includes coaches from 13 conferences.
Bart Brooks, Belmont
2024-25 Season: 26-13, No. 12 mid-major in HHS Rating, 10th-consecutive 20-win season
Megan Griffith, Columbia
2024-25 Season: 24-7, No. 2 mid-major in HHS Rating, 2nd ever NCAA Tournament appearance
Tamika Williams-Jeter, Dayton
2024-25 Season: 18-13, No. 16 improvement in HHS Rating among mid-majors
Carly Thibault-DuDonis, Fairfield
2024-25 Season: 28-5, No. 8 mid-major in HHS Rating, 2nd-most wins (28) in program history
Vanessa Blair-Lewis, George Mason
2024-25 Season: 27-6, No. 3 mid-major in HHS Rating, program’s first NCAA Tournament bid
Carrie Moore, Harvard
2024-25 Season: 24-5, No. 5 mid-major in HHS Rating, program-record 24 wins, highest NCAA Tournament seed (10) in team history
Sean O’Regan, James Madison
2024-25 Season: 30-6, No. 16 mid-major in HHS Rating, program-record 30 wins
Addie Micir, Lehigh
2024-25 Season: 27-7, No. 10 improvement in HHS Rating among mid-majors, NCAA Tournament appearance
Amy Eagan, Lindenwood
2024-25 Season: 23-11, No. 2 improvement in HHS Rating among mid-majors, 16-win improvement year-over-year
Tricia Binford, Montana St.
2024-25 Season: 30-4, No. 5 improvement in HHS Rating among mid-majors, 13-win improvement year-over-year
Rechelle Turner, Murray St.
2024-25 Season: 25-8, No. 11 mid-major in HHS Rating, program-high 25 wins
Carla Berube, Princeton
2024-25 Season: 21-8, No. 10 mid-major in HHS Rating, fifth 20-win season in five years, fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance
Maria Marchesano, Purdue Fort Wayne
2024-25 Season: 27-9, No. 21 mid-major in HHS Rating, program-high 27 wins, more wins (27) than 2016-17 to 2020-21 combined (22).
Tricia Fabbri, Quinnipiac
2024-25 Season: 28-5, No. 1 improvement in HHS Rating among mid-majors, 15-win improvement year-over-year
Aaron Roussell, Richmond - 2025 Winner
2024-25 Season: 28-7, No. 1 mid-major in HHS Rating, first NCAA Tournament win in team history
Cindy Griffin, Saint Joseph’s
2024-25 Season: 24-10, No. 9 mid-major in HHS Rating, 10th 20-win season with Saint Joseph’s
Aaron Johnston, South Dakota St.
2024-25 Season: 30-4, No. 4 mid-major in HHS Rating, 15th-consecutive 20-win season, fifth second-round appearance in NCAA Tournament
Lindy La Rocque, UNLV
2024-25 Season: 26-8, No. 6 mid-major in HHS Rating, fourth-consecutive 25-win season
Karen Aston, UTSA
2024-25 Season: 26-5, No. 37 mid-major in HHS Rating, program-high 26 wins
Alisa Kresge, Vermont
2024-25 Season: 21-13, No. 25 mid-major in HHS Rating, second NCAA Tournament appearance in three seasons
Award Eligibility & Schedule
To be eligible for the award, coaches must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be “mid-major.” The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Additionally, Oregon State and Washington State remain ineligible this season as membership in the Pac-12 Conference evolves. Interim head coaches are eligible, though total games coached were taken into consideration.
The 10-person midseason watch list will be announced in January. The five finalists for the award will be announced in March, with the winner being named around the Final Four. Coaches will be assessed across the entire season, including postseason play. Beyond on-court success, other factors such as recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries, and tactical coaching will also be weighed when assessing each candidate. Inclusion on previous watch lists is not a requirement to be considered for future watch lists.
About Kathy Delaney-Smith
Delaney-Smith’s Harvard teams compiled a record of 630-434 (.592) in her 40-year career, including a 367-168 (.685) record in Ivy League play. Delaney-Smith’s 630 wins rank 32nd in Division I history.
Delaney-Smith led her teams to six NCAA Tournament appearances and nine WNIT appearances, plus three Ivy League titles before the NCAA Tournament awarded automatic bids to the Ivy League champion. She has coached nine Ivy League Player of the Year recipients, six Ivy League Rookie of the Year winners, and the first 22 of Harvard’s 1,000-point scorers in the program’s NCAA Division I history.
Delaney-Smith was inducted into the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1986, becoming the first woman to ever be inducted, with more than three decades of her career still ahead of her. She was also inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.
A native of Newton, Mass., Delaney-Smith is also among the most accomplished high school players and coaches in the state’s history. She was the first woman in state history to score 1,000 points while at Sacred Heart High School. As a high school coach, Delaney-Smith coached Westwood High School to an overall record of 204-31 across 11 seasons, including a 96-game winning streak.
About Her Hoop Stats
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