They've turned around their programs, set new standards for their school and led their team to new heights.
No one knows, of course, if they'll ever win a national title, but this group of 12 coaches is making a difference -- making the game and the players better. We like to call them the future of the game.
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| Iowa State's Bill Fennelly already has a long list of accomplishments, and he'll be around for a long time to add to the résumé. |
Sherri Coale, Oklahoma
We saw what Coale was capable of last season when she led the Sooners to the best season in Big 12 history and NCAA title game. From day one, Coale has exceeded expectations. When she was first hired, jumping from the high school level straight to Division I, a lot of critics spoke up. But Coale has resurrected this program, signing excellent players such as Stacey Dales. Coale is young and connects with her players very well. She's also an excellent teacher and has a great relationship with her players. They really trust her.
Kristy Curry, Purdue
Like her predecessors, Kristy Curry inherited a stacked program. But she also has made a tremendous immediate impact and maintained that high level, taking the Boilermakers to the 2001 Final Four. She is a great teacher who's surrounded by a wonderful staff. Curry is young and dynamic and a great defensive coach.
Bill Fennelly, Iowa State
Fennelly really has been around too long and been successful for too many seasons to be on this list. He took this program from the ashes and built it into a national contender. He has put a lot of enthusiasm into this program. The point is that despite this season's struggles, he's going to be around for a long time.
Bonnie Henrickson, Virginia Tech
Henrickson hasn't received the national recognition she deserves, but she has found success both at the college level and coaching for USA Basketball. Henrickson has notched five consecutive 20-win seasons and posted a 113-43 record since arriving at Virginia Tech.
Jeff Mittie, TCU
Mittie, last season's Conference USA coach of the year after guiding the Lady Frogs to their first national ranking in program history, is a very good coach who's well-versed in the fundamentals. He loves to shoot the 3 and he gives his players the freedom to do so. Mittie also makes sure his team is very skilled defensively and able to kick you off balance.
Kim Mulkey-Robertson, Baylor
Mulkey-Robertson was a very successful player, and one of the all-time great point guards of the game. It only took one season to prove she can be equally successful as a coach. In her first season at Baylor, Mulkey-Robertson took a team that was 7-20 the year before to a 21-9 record and the school's first NCAA Tournament berth. Mulkey-Robertson, a great recruiter, paid her dues at Louisiana Tech, learning from one of the game's greatest masters in Leon Barmore. And it shows.
Deb Patterson, Kansas State
Since arriving in Manhattan, Kan., Patterson has led the Wildcats to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years and upsets over 10 ranked teams. After leading K-State to the Sweet 16 last season, Patterson was named the Big 12 coach of the year.
Jennifer Rizzotti, Hartford
Rizzotti coaches exactly the same way she plays -- tenacious and very hard-nosed. But she also has the maturity to put her past honors as a player aside to better share her knowledge with her players. And there's no doubt she's passing on some things that she learned from Geno Auriemma.
Dawn Staley, Temple
Like Rizzotti, Staley is the new brand of coach, the one who can criticize you for doing something wrong in practice and then grab the ball and do it correctly -- and at game pace. While a lot of coaches can do that, it has to be incredible to learn from a WNBA All-Star and former All-American. Staley is as smart as they come and is going to be very successful. I always say that new coaches need four years to get their first recruiting class to really jell.
Lisa Stockton, Tulane
Stockton's young ('86 Wake Forest grad) and has a tremendous amount of energy -- and it shows. Tulane is always competitive, and Stockton has built the Green Wave into a perennial contender in Conference USA. She's had seven consecutive 20-win seasons, but more importantly, she knows how to make good players better. She already has sent three players, including Grace Daley, to the WNBA.
Charli Turner Thorne, Arizona
Within seven seasons of stepping foot in Tempe, Turner Thorne has led Arizona State to its first Pac-10 title, back-to-back conference championships, and first consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in 19 years. She's a fun yet very focused coach. Two years ago, Turner Thorne made headlines when she delivered a baby just days before the start of the NCAA Tournament, which she didn't miss. She's a successful working mom and an excellent coach.
Connie Yori, Nebraska
Yori built Creighton into one of the Missouri Valley Conference's top teams, and will continue to do a great job at Nebraska. She's very organized, is a good game coach and a great recruiter. Yori, who recently notched her 200th win, also refuses to get caught up in anything that won't benefit her kids, and is going to cut the fat at Nebraska.
Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.
