Jeff Walz Named Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Semifinalist
February 21, 2018 | Women's Basketball
Walz has led the Cardinals to a program-best 27-2 start this season.
ATLANTA (February 21, 2018) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today that University of Louisville women's basketball head coach Jeff Walz is one of 10 coaches in the running for the 2018 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year honor.
From this list, the Naismith Awards master voting academy will select the four finalists, to be announced on March 14. The 2018 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year will be announced on March 31.
Walz has led the Cardinals to a program-best 27-2 start despite returning just two starters from a team that went 29-8 and reached the Sweet 16 a year ago.Â
Louisville won its first 20 games this season, which set a program record for consecutive wins to start the year, and following its 100-67 win over then-No. 2 Notre Dame, moved up to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, its highest ranking ever.
At 13-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, the Cardinals are two wins away from clinching their first ever ACC title and their first regular season conference title since claiming the 2001 C-USA crown.
Already the winningest coach in Louisville women's basketball history, the Cardinals' win at North Carolina on Sunday marked the 290th of Walz's career, moving him just 10 wins shy of the 300-win milestone.
The Cardinals return home for their annual Play4Kay game against Virginia tomorrow night at 7 p.m. ET. Coach Walz has pledged to donate $1 to the Kay Yow Fund for every fan over 10,000.
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Fans will be able to support their favorite coach by visiting naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 19-30 to cast their ballot. The fan vote accounts for five percent of the overall final vote.Â
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"This has been a remarkable college basketball season thus far, and these 10 semifinalists have proven themselves worthy of being considered for the Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.Â
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"Werner is thrilled to be presenting the semifinalists for the Naismith Women's Coach of the Year," said Chris Filardi, vice president of marketing at WernerCo. "These coaches set an incredible example both on and off the court."
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ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Celebrating 50 Years of the Citizen Naismith Trophy
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, which have become the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men's and Women's College Basketball Players of the Year. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the Men's and Women's College Basketball Coaches of the Year, Boys' and Girls' High School Basketball Players and Coaches of the Year, Basketball Officials and Outstanding Contributors to the game. Celebrating its 50th year by honoring past winners, the Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA's Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1983.
ABOUT WERNER LADDER COMPANYÂ Â Â Â Â
WERNER, a WernerCo brand, is the world leader in ladders and has a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, step stools, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, WERNER provides a full line of climbing equipment that's engineered to provide maximum safety, durability and productivity at every height. For more information, visit www.wernerco.com/us.
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From this list, the Naismith Awards master voting academy will select the four finalists, to be announced on March 14. The 2018 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year will be announced on March 31.
Walz has led the Cardinals to a program-best 27-2 start despite returning just two starters from a team that went 29-8 and reached the Sweet 16 a year ago.Â
Louisville won its first 20 games this season, which set a program record for consecutive wins to start the year, and following its 100-67 win over then-No. 2 Notre Dame, moved up to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, its highest ranking ever.
At 13-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, the Cardinals are two wins away from clinching their first ever ACC title and their first regular season conference title since claiming the 2001 C-USA crown.
Already the winningest coach in Louisville women's basketball history, the Cardinals' win at North Carolina on Sunday marked the 290th of Walz's career, moving him just 10 wins shy of the 300-win milestone.
The Cardinals return home for their annual Play4Kay game against Virginia tomorrow night at 7 p.m. ET. Coach Walz has pledged to donate $1 to the Kay Yow Fund for every fan over 10,000.
Â
Fans will be able to support their favorite coach by visiting naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 19-30 to cast their ballot. The fan vote accounts for five percent of the overall final vote.Â
Â
"This has been a remarkable college basketball season thus far, and these 10 semifinalists have proven themselves worthy of being considered for the Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.Â
Â
"Werner is thrilled to be presenting the semifinalists for the Naismith Women's Coach of the Year," said Chris Filardi, vice president of marketing at WernerCo. "These coaches set an incredible example both on and off the court."
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| Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Semifinalists | ||
| NAME | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
| Karen Aston | Texas | Big 12 |
| Geno Auriemma | UCONN | AAC |
| Kelly Graves | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Muffet McGraw | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Kim Mulkey | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Robin Pingeton | Missouri | SEC |
| Vic Schaefer | Mississippi State | SEC |
| Joni Taylor | Georgia | SEC |
| Jeff Walz | Louisville | ACC |
| Amy Williams | Nebraska | Big Ten |
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Celebrating 50 Years of the Citizen Naismith Trophy
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, which have become the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men's and Women's College Basketball Players of the Year. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the Men's and Women's College Basketball Coaches of the Year, Boys' and Girls' High School Basketball Players and Coaches of the Year, Basketball Officials and Outstanding Contributors to the game. Celebrating its 50th year by honoring past winners, the Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA's Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1983.
ABOUT WERNER LADDER COMPANYÂ Â Â Â Â
WERNER, a WernerCo brand, is the world leader in ladders and has a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, step stools, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, WERNER provides a full line of climbing equipment that's engineered to provide maximum safety, durability and productivity at every height. For more information, visit www.wernerco.com/us.
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