ATLANTA (March 16, 2023) — Smith College head coach Lynn Hersey has been named the 2023 WBCA NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced today.

Hersey will receive the Pat Summitt Trophy, named for the late legendary University of Tennessee coach and awarded annually to the national coaches of the year in each of the WBCA's six membership divisions. The WBCA NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year is selected by a committee of coaches.

"The WBCA is proud to announce Lynn Hersey as the 2023 recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy presented to the WBCA NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. "We also congratulate the other head coaches who were selected by their peers as finalists for this prestigious award.

"Lynn was chosen for this honor after leading her team to an exceptional season. The WBCA recognizes and applauds her leadership example that can be seen in her student-athletes, institution and community."  

Hersey and the Pioneers are in the midst of the best season in program history. Smith (30-1) won the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship and has advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. 

Since taking over the program in 2007, Hersey has produced a 271-137 record and led Smith to three conference championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight and one Final Four. Among numerous awards for her student-athletes this season, Morgan Morrison (Detroit, Mi/Detroit Country Day) was recognized as the 2023 WBCA NCAA Division III Player of the Year. 

Kristin Hughes, Smith's director of athletics and recreation said Hersey continues to be a model of excellence in coaching. 

"Great accomplishments require incredible leadership and drive and that is exactly what Lynn gives every day to her program," Hughes said. She brings a relentless work ethic and sets high expectational for everyone around her. Her desire to compete and demand excellence are traits that separate her from others. She is a special one and so deserving of a recognition of this magnitude."

About the WBCA  
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.