Cori Close

Cori Close is a renowned American college basketball coach, currently serving as the head coach of the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team, competing in the Pac-12 Conference against teams like the Stanford Cardinal women's basketball and University of California, Berkeley's California Golden Bears women's basketball. Close has led her team to numerous victories, including wins against the University of Southern California's USC Trojans women's basketball and University of Oregon's Oregon Ducks women's basketball. Her coaching career has been influenced by notable figures such as Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma, and Kim Mulkey, all of whom are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Close's teams have also competed in prestigious tournaments like the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship and the WNIT.

● Early Life and Education

Cori Close was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she developed a passion for basketball, inspired by players like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. She attended University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a degree in Sociology and played basketball under the guidance of coach Mark French. Close's college experience was shaped by her interactions with teammates and opponents from schools like University of California, Los Angeles, University of Arizona, and Arizona State University. Her education and early basketball career were influenced by notable coaches like Tara VanDerveer of Stanford University and C. Vivian Stringer of Rutgers University.

● Coaching Career

Cori Close began her coaching career as an assistant coach at University of California, Santa Barbara, working under Mark French and later at Flint Hills High School in Kansas. She then moved to UCLA as an assistant coach, where she worked alongside Kathy Olivier and Jenny Boucek, who have also coached for teams like the Washington Mystics and Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. Close's coaching style has been influenced by her experiences working with players like Natalie Williams, Sheryl Swoopes, and Lisa Leslie, all of whom are members of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Her career has also been shaped by interactions with coaches like Muffet McGraw of University of Notre Dame and Sylvia Hatchell of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

● UCLA Bruins

As the head coach of the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team, Cori Close has led her team to several victories, including wins against the University of Washington's Washington Huskies women's basketball and University of Colorado Boulder's Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball. Her teams have competed in the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament and have qualified for the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship multiple times, facing teams like the University of Connecticut's UConn Huskies women's basketball and Baylor University's Baylor Lady Bears basketball. Close has coached players like Jordin Canada, Monique Billings, and Kennedy Burke, who have gone on to play in the Women's National Basketball Association for teams like the Seattle Storm, Atlanta Dream, and Dallas Wings.

● Coaching Style and Philosophy

Cori Close's coaching style is characterized by her emphasis on teamwork, discipline, and player development, which has been influenced by her experiences working with coaches like Vivian Stringer and Tara VanDerveer. She focuses on creating a positive team culture, similar to that of the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association. Close's philosophy is centered around the idea of building strong relationships with her players, which has been shaped by her interactions with coaches like Geno Auriemma and Pat Summitt. Her approach has been successful, with her teams consistently competing at a high level against opponents like the University of Texas at Austin's Texas Longhorns women's basketball and University of Louisville's Louisville Cardinals women's basketball.

● Awards and Recognition

Cori Close has received numerous awards and recognition for her coaching achievements, including being named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year and the WBCA National Coach of the Year. She has been recognized by organizations like the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators. Close has also been honored by her alma mater, University of California, Santa Barbara, and has been inducted into the UCSB Athletics Hall of Fame. Her achievements have been acknowledged by notable figures like Nancy Lieberman, Cheryl Miller, and Ann Meyers Drysdale, all of whom are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and have coached or played for teams like the Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks in the Women's National Basketball Association.