The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Women’s Basketball’s Vic Schaefer selected to Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Watch List
02.18.2026 | Women's Basketball
Schaefer was the 2018 Naismith National Coach of the Year.
ATLANTA — Two-time national Coach of the Year and five-time conference Coach of the Year Vic Schaefer has been named to the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Watch List presented by AXIA Time, the Atlanta Tipoff Club and Naismith Awards announced on Wednesday.
Schaefer has guided the No. 4 Longhorns to a 24-3 record on the season with 10 wins over ranked opponents and four of those against top-10 teams. Only Texas and UCLA have 10 or more QUAD 1 wins on the season with Texas having 10.
In his sixth season at Texas, Schaefer has led the Longhorns to a 168-39 (.812) record, including a mark of 92-12 (.885) since the start of the 2023-24 season. In his time in Austin, the Longhorns have won two conference regular season championships, two conference tournament championships, advanced to the Elite Eight four times in five seasons and advanced to the first Final Four in 22 years in program history in 2025.
Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Watch List
Geno Auriemma UConn
Jennie Baranczyk Oklahoma
Kim Barnes-Arico Michigan
Carla Berube Princeton
Cori Close UCLA
Krista Gerlich Texas Tech
Jan Jensen Iowa
Kara Lawson Duke
Kevin McGuff Ohio State
Kim Mulkey LSU
Shea Ralph Vanderbilt
Tammi Reiss Rhode Island
Vic Schaefer Texas
Dawn Staley South Carolina
Jeff Walz Louisville
