RELEASE: Wes Moore Named a Finalist For Naismith Women's COY
ATLANTA – Head coach Wes Moore of the 10th-ranked NC State women's basketball team (26-5) has been named among four finalists for the 2019 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's Coach of the Year Award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday morning.
Moore has led the Wolfpack to the best start to a season in program history (21-0), the longest winning streak in program history (21 games), and a third-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a league that consistently ranks as the best in NCAA Division I women's basketball. Moore and his Wolfpack have achieved these milestones despite missing an astounding 71.5 combined games from impact players due to injury.
NC State's head coach was also named among the top 10 candidates for the 2017 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's Coach of the Year Award. He won ESPNW's ACC Coach of the Year Award in 2014 and was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2017. During his time at NC State, Moore has led the Wolfpack to a 138-57 (.707) record that includes a 63-33 (.656) mark in ACC games.
Beginning March 22, fans will be able to support their favorite finalist by visiting naismithfanvote.com until April 3, to cast their ballot. The fan vote will account for five percent of the overall final vote. The 2019 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year will be announced on April 6, and the winner will be honored at their school on a later date.
The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom base their selections on outstanding coaching performances during the 2018-19 college basketball season. The vote was tabulated and certified by Aprio, a premier, CPA-led business advisory firm.
Moore and the Wolfpack open play in the 2019 NCAA Tournament as a third seed and will host 14th-seeded Maine on Saturday, March 23 at 1 pm.