Rueck Named Naismith Coach of Year Finalist
March 16, 2016 | Women's Basketball
CORVALLIS – The Oregon State women's basketball team added another outstanding piece of recognition to its collection on Wednesday, as head coach Scott Rueck was named one of four finalists for the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award.
Rueck is joined by fellow finalists Geno Auriemma (Connecticut), Muffet McGraw (Notre Dame) and Dawn Staley (South Carolina). The honor will be awarded on April 4.
Rueck has led the Beavers to the best season in school history this year, as Oregon State has set a school record with 28 wins and notched its second-straight Pac-12 regular-season title. OSU won the Pac-12 Tournament for the first time in program history on March 6, defeating UCLA in the Pac-12 Final to lift the conference trophy. The Beavers are a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest-ever seeding for the squad, and are ranked No. 6 in both major polls, the best ranking in school history.
Under Rueck's guidance, Oregon State players have garnered a number of individual honors. Jamie Weisner was named Pac-12 Player of the Year this season, and fellow senior Ruth Hamblin has earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in back-to-back campaigns. For the second-straight season the Beavers placed three players on the All-Pac-12 Team, as junior Sydney Wiese joined Weisner and Hamblin in the recognition.
In just his sixth season at Oregon State, Rueck has transformed the Beavers into a national power. The head coach is already the third-winningest coach in Oregon State history with 118 career victories. He is a three-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year, and has led the team to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Prior to taking over at Oregon State in 2010, Rueck built George Fox into a perennial contender at the Division III level, leading the team to a national title in 2009. He notched his 400th career victory earlier this season (288 with George Fox).
The Beavers will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend at Gill Coliseum. Oregon State will tip off with Troy at 2 p.m. on Friday.
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