DALLAS, Texas (ODUSports.com) – Old Dominion women's basketball head coach Nikki McCray has been named Conference USA Coach of the Year as voted on by league head coaches and media personnel. McCray becomes the first Old Dominion head coach to be named conference Coach of the Year since Wendy Larry did in 2010 (CAA).
McCray and the Monarchs closed the regular season with a 24-6 overall record and a 14-4 mark in league play. Old Dominion received the No. 2 seed after being picked to finish fifth in the C-USA preseason poll.
McCray led the Monarchs to an 89-77 win over Auburn, which marked its first victory over a Power 5 opponent since March 2015. The Monarchs also snapped Rice's 30 conference game win streak at the Chartway Arena on Feb. 13. Her defense ranks first in the country for holding teams to three-point field goals and 15th in the country in scoring defense.
In just her third season at the helm of the program, McCray's Monarchs earned votes in the AP Top 25 poll and the WBCA Coaches Poll for the first time since December 2008. On Feb. 18, her team was named NCAA Team of the Week following her performance over Rice, which propelled the team to the top of the league.
ODU heads to the C-USA Tournament in Frisco, Texas, this week as the No. 2 seed. The Monarchs open up against the winner of No. 7 UTEP/No. 10 Florida Atlantic on Thursday, March 12 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
2019-20 CONFERENCE USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Erica Ogwumike, Rice, Sr., G, Cypress, Texas
2019-20 CONFERENCE USA COACH OF THE YEAR
Nikki McCray, Old Dominion (53-40 at Old Dominion)
2019-20 CONFERENCE USA COACHES CIRCLE
Tina Yangley, Rice (103-57 at Rice, fifth season)
