Shea Ralph named AP women’s basketball Coach of the Year after Vanderbilt’s 29-5 season
Shea Ralph led a team that returned just one starter to the most successful season in school history.
PHOENIX — Shea Ralph of Vanderbilt was named The Associated Press women’s basketball Coach of the Year after turning the Commodores into one of the top teams in the nation. Ralph led a team that returned just one starter to the most successful season in school history. The team went 29-5, with 13 of those wins coming in the regular season against a rugged Southeastern Conference schedule.
The Commodores finished tied for second in the conference, which matched the best finish in program history. They earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Sweet 16. “It’s wild.
It’s hard to wrap my mind around it. This whole year we haven’t slowed down,” Ralph told the AP. “I love basketball, I love the group that I coach.
I love they stayed with me. It’s been hard and it’s been challenging, but in a good way. ” Ralph received 23 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week.