Yori Named WBCA Regional Coach of the Year

Lincoln - Nebraska Coach Connie Yori was named one of eight NCAA Division I regional coaches of the year by Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) on Tuesday.

Yori, the 2010 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, has guided Nebraska to its best season in school history in her eighth year at the helm of the Huskers. The Ankeny, Iowa, native led Nebraska to its first-ever Big 12 regular-season title by producing a school-record 30-game winning streak, matching the previous Big 12 mark. She also led NU to just the second 16-0 conference season by any team in Big 12 history.

The Huskers (30-1) are also one of the nation's most improved teams, producing a plus-15 turnaround from a 15-16 mark in 2008-09, when they advanced to the second round of the Postseason WNIT.

Nebraska earned its first-ever No. 1 seed in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field announced on Monday evening, and will play No. 16 seed Northern Iowa in the tournament's first round in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sunday, March 21. Yori, who has led Nebraska to a school-record seven consecutive postseason appearances, will guide NU to its third NCAA Tournament trip in the past four years.

Nebraska features a trio of first-team All-Big 12 selections in 2010, including Big 12 Conference Player-of-the-Year Kelsey Griffin, and fellow seniors Cory Montgomery and Yvonne Turner, who was also the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Junior guard Dominique Kelley gained honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades, while freshman point guard Lindsey Moore earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors.

In addition to their success on the court under Yori, the Huskers have also produced a 100 percent Graduation Success Rate, and have captured a pair of Nebraska Life Skills Team Awards. Nebraska also led the Big 12 with six academic all-conference selections in 2010.

The winner of the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year for Division I will be honored on Monday, April 5, at 12:30 p.m. CT during the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon in the Marriott Rivercenter. The luncheon is part of the 2010 WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four®.

WBCA Honors the 2010 RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Division I Regional Coaches of the Year

Below are the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Regional Coaches of the Year winners listed by region:

NCAA Division I

• Region 1 - Geno Auriemma - University of Connecticut
• Region 2 - Sue Semrau- Florida State University
• Region 3 - Matthew Mitchell - University of Kentucky 
• Region 4 - Joe Foley - UALR
• Region 5 - Connie Yori - University of Nebraska 
• Region 6 - Robin Pingeton - Illinois State University
• Region 7 - Adrian Wiggins - Fresno State
• Region 8 - Tara VanDerveer - Stanford University

The winners are selected through a two-level process. The first level is by region, in which coaches from each WBCA geographical region vote for their respective top coach. If a coach has been selected as Regional Coach of the Year, they advance as a finalist to the national level of the selection process along with the other RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Regional Coaches of the Year in their respective division.