The Kay Yow National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the women's college basketball head coach in
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I competition who displays great character both on and off the court. The award was established in 2010 and is named for legendary women's head coach
Kay Yow
Sandra Kay Yow (March 14, 1942 – January 24, 2009) was an American basketball coach. She was the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team from 1975 to 2009. A List of coaches in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of F ...
, who coached at
NC State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
from 1975 to 2009 before succumbing to stage 4
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
. Yow was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 but still continued to coach until the illness forced her to take a medical leave of absence in early 2009. Yow accumulated over 700 wins as a head coach, and also led the United States women's basketball team to an
Olympic gold medal
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
in
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
.
Selection
The award is presented to the coach who has exhibited great personal character both as a coach and as a person. A committee of 26 members, ranging from women's basketball analysts, former and current head coaches, and Yow's three siblings (sisters
Deborah
According to the Book of Judges, Deborah ( he, דְּבוֹרָה, ''Dəḇōrā'', " bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Many scholars ...
and Susan, and brother Ronnie), chooses the winner among a field of finalists.
Winners
See also
*
Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award The Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award honored the active men's NCAA Division I basketball coach who has made the most significant positive contributions to his sport during the preceding year. The winner reflected the character and professional qua ...
– a character award given to an NCAA Division I men's basketball coach
*
Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award
The Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award is an award given annually to the nation's men's head basketball coach in NCAA Division I competition who also exhibits strong moral character. The award was established in 2008 and is named for head coach Sk ...
– an annual award given to an NCAA Division I men's basketball coach who exhibits moral character off the court; the award is also presented by CollegeInsider.com
References
;General
*
;Specific
External links
Official site
{{Kay Yow Award
Awards established in 2010
College basketball coaching awards in the United States