Ucla's Cori Close Is The Ap Coach Of The Year After A Historic Season For The Top-seeded Bruins

Cori Close, who led UCLA to its first women's Final Four during one of the best seasons in school history, was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year on Thursday.

The Bruins earned the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll for the first time ever, holding the spot for 14 weeks as they piled up win after win on their way to grabbing the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

"I'm thankful to be surrounded by the players and staff I have," Close said. "It's a really nice thing. It does give me an opportunity to say thank you to all the people who have poured into me all the years. Never be here without village of people who mentored me, who have come alongside me in difficult times."

She received 16 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Mark Campbell of TCU finished second with five votes. Vic Schaefer, who guided Texas to its first Final Four since 2003, got three votes and Kentucky's Kenny Brooks received two.

Close took over at UCLA in 2011 and has had only two losing seasons. She is the first UCLA women's coach to win the award and said she was honored to join her mentor, the late John Wooden, who won the men's award five times.