Banghart Named Naismith Coach of the Year
Story by Benjamin Badua (Photo courtesy of Princeton Athletics)
Two days after being honored by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), head coach Courtney Banghart of the Princeton University women's basketball team added to her growing list of postseason accolades as the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year.
The first Ivy League coach to claim the honor, Banghart was chosen from a group of finalists that included Geno Auriemma (University of Connecticut), Sue Semrau (Florida State University) and Dawn Staley (University of South Carolina).
“I am beyond humbled and grateful to receive this Naismith National Coach of the Year award,” Banghart said. “I stand as a representative of all women's basketball coaches who have the opportunity and responsibility to lead their teams with class and competitiveness. It's been an incredible honor leading this team because of their trust in me and in the process of becoming great.”
Banghart was selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's National Voting Academy, which based its criteria on the coaches' performances throughout the 2014-15 season. Created in 1987, Tennessee's Pat Summitt won the inaugural Naismith award. The University of Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw claimed the last two honors (2013, 2014), while fellow finalist Geno Auriemma has taken home the prize a record six times (2009, 2008, 2002, 2000, 1997, 1995).
“The accomplishments of the Princeton women's basketball team resonated nationally throughout the sporting world, and our voters took note by selecting Courtney with the highest coaching honor – the Naismith Award,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We congratulate Courtney, as well as all of the finalists, for their amazing seasons.”
Under Banghart's guidance the Tigers finished the regular season with an unblemished 30-0 record, climbing to No. 13 in the Associated Press Top-25 and the USA Today Coaches polls – the highest-ever rankings for an Ivy program. Princeton's 30-0 regular season was the best in conference history, surpassing the 1970-71 Penn men's team's mark of 28-0.
“I accept this honor for all Tigers and especially on behalf of the fifteen players I was so fortunate to call my team.”
Also earning the highest-ever NCAA seeding in the league's history (No. 8), the Tigers became just the second Ivy team to record a tournament win with an 80-70 victory over ninth-seeded Green Bay. Seeded 16th, Harvard's 1998 squad is the only other Ivy program to win an NCAA tournament game, upsetting top-seeded Stanford.
Guiding the Tigers to their fifth Ivy title in six years, Banghart was also the unanimous choice for the league's inaugural Coach of the Year award. During the course of the season, a Princeton player laid claim to the conference's Player of the Week honor in all 14 weeks that it played a game and was eligible – a first in conference history.
Under Banghart's tutelage, four Tigers garnered All-Ivy honors, which included three first team selections, headlined by Player of the Year Blake Dietrick. Princeton's eventual 31-1 record is the best in program history.
“I'm so grateful for all involved in this special year, for our administration for believing in our vision, our fans for their incredible support, my staff for their authentic leadership, and my front line - the players who came together to make history, while wearing Princeton proudly across their chests,” Banghart said. “I accept this honor for all Tigers and especially on behalf of the fifteen players I was so fortunate to call my team.”
The winningest coach in Princeton women's basketball history, Banghart has amassed a 169-67 (0.716) overall record in her eight seasons, going 92-17 (0.844) against the Ivy League during that span.
The Tigers closed out their 2014-15 campaign ranked second in the nation in three-point percentage (40.5), third in field goal percentage (49.1), 12th in assists (16.9) and 19th in scoring (75.8). Princeton also sat second in the country in field goal defense (34.2), sixth in rebounding margin (+11.2) and points allowed (52.6), and seventh in three-point defense (26.3).
As part of their record-setting campaign, the Tigers set new program benchmarks for points (2,424), scoring average (75.8), field goals made (921), field goal percentage (.491), rebounds (1,338), blocks (143), and assists (541).