The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced that Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball head coach Shea Ralph has been named the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year April 1, 2026.

Ralph is the first Vanderbilt head coach to win the Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year award, but she is the second women’s basketball coach to win a national coach of the year honor. Jim Foster was named the United States Basketball Writers Association National Coach of the Year in 1992-93.

“I am honored and grateful to be recognized as the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year,” Ralph said in a statement. “This award is so much bigger than me. Great players make great coaches, and I am incredibly blessed to get to coach great players on my team.”

Ralph also earned national coach of the year honors from the USBWA, ESPN, The Athletic and The Sporting News. In her fifth year in the drivers seat, she guided the Commodores to an undefeated season at home, a Sweet 16 run, 13 SEC wins and seven ranked wins. The Commodores spent five weeks inside the top five of the AP poll and coaches poll and remained in the top 10 for 12 consecutive weeks.

“My staff is my family, and their belief in me and in our program has helped us to one of the best seasons in school history,” Ralph said in a statement. “I am fortunate that our chancellor, Daniel Diermeier, and our athletic director, Dr. Candice Storey Lee, share my vision for Vanderbilt women’s basketball. This award is for everyone who has helped our program set a new standard for excellence this season.”

Ralph is not the only Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball coach to win an award; assistant coach Kevin DeMille won the WBCA NCAA Division I Assistant Coach of the Year award March 26. He has been with Ralph for all five years of her tenure at Vanderbilt.

Next, Ralph and star guard Mikayla Blakes will head to Phoenix for USA Basketball training camp.