Bruins' Close Will be Top Candidate for Coach of the Year

UCLA women's basketball coach Cori Close had led the top team in the country to an impressive 16-0 start to the season and the top spot in the national rankings for eight consecutive weeks. She is making a strong case for national coach of the year.
Dec 29, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close talks to UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close talks to UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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The No. 1 UCLA Bruins (16-0) are off to one of the best starts in program history as they are across the midway point of the regular season and have controlled the top spot in the nation's national rankings for past eight-straight weeks.

Bruins coach Cori Close deserves all the credit in the world for getting her team to their second 16-0 start in program history, the first coming back in the 2019-20 season with her at the helm. She is surely going to be in the conversation for the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year.

Close is in her 14th season with the Bruins and has yet to be named Coach of the Year for her efforts. She has made the NCAA Tournament eight times in her first 13 seasons, reaching the regional semifinal or final in six of those seasons. She has yet to win it all, but it may soon be coming.

The Bruins have dispatched all five of their conference opponents this year by double digits with their closest win coming by 11 points against Indiana. They have not played in over a week after their home game with Northwestern was postponed due to the impact of the Palisades Wildfires.

Close was unable to win a Pac-12 regular season title or conference tournament but has found new life within the Big Ten in her first season coaching in the conference. The change of scenery may be just what the Bruins need to earn a championship and get Close the recognition she deserves.

Nobody has been tied into UCLA women's basketball longer than Close has. She was an assistant for the program back from 1993-'95 and then rejoined the program as the head coach in 2011. She has been there ever since and has worked tirelessly to make this program what it is today.

This year specifically, Close has assembled a team that leads the conference in field goal percentage and is third in the country at 49.9%. They are also the third-best team in the nation in point differential at +30.2, continuing to absolutely pummel teams in and out of the Big Ten.

Close also has a fellow award-winning candidate on her team in junior center Lauren Betts. She is amongst the top options for Naismith Player of the Year with her 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, delivering key performances on a weekly basis to lead this team to an undefeated start.

If the Bruins continue their impressive undefeated ways and compete for a Big Ten title and National Championship, Close will certainly be a top candidate to win coach of the year after finishing 27-7 last year and getting bounced in the Sweet 16 by LSU.

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