ATLANTA -- Bates women's basketball's
Alison Montgomery is one of 13 finalists for the WBCA NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year, as announced Tuesday by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
In her seventh year at the helm of the program, Montgomery is a finalist for the WBCA Coach of the Year for the first time
after leading the Bobcats to an 18-8 season and their first ever NESCAC tournament championship. Montgomery led Bates to the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time since the 2005-06 season, where the Bobcats beat Roger Williams in overtime in the first round. Montgomery led the team to its best winning percentage (.692) since 2004-05 and junior captain
Meghan Graff (South Portland, Maine) was named the
NESCAC Player of the Year and a
D3hoops.com Second Team All-American.
Named in honor of college basketball's all-time winningest coach, the Pat Summitt Trophy is presented annually to the WBCA National Coach of the Year in each of the five membership divisions – NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and two-year college. The criteria in order of priority are:
- Team success during current season
- Team improvement from previous season
- Fulfillment of team potential
- Professional manner and attitude of coach
This year's WBCA National Coach of the Year is New York University's Meg Barber. The Violets defeated the Bobcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and advanced all the way to the Elite 8 before falling to eventual national champion Hope College.
Previously, Montgomery was named the
Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
