Lilburn, Georgia - RUSSELL ATHLETIC and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) are proud to announce its Regional Russell Athletic/ WBCA Coach of the Year winners for NCAA Division I.

"As always, we have a talented group of coaches this year," said WBCA Chief Executive Officer, Beth Bass. "On behalf of the WBCA, congratulations to each winner on being selected as Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year in their respective regions."

"RUSSELL ATHLETIC would like to congratulate all of the Regional Russell Athletic/WBCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year winners," said Rod McGeachy, Vice President of Marketing for Russell Athletic. "RUSSELL ATHLETIC knows that attaining the respect of ones peers is the highest accolade a coach can receive."

Each winner is 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 seven Regional Coaches of the Year in their respective division.

Below are the NCAA Division I Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year
Regional Winners:

Region 1 Geno Auriemma University of Connecticut
Region 2 Gail Goestenkors Duke University
Region 3 Sue Gunter Louisiana State University
Region 4 Katie Meier University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Region 5 Debbie Patterson Kansas State University
Region 6 Kevin Borseth University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
Region 7 Carla Taylor Weber State University
Region 8 Mark French University of California, Santa Barbara

The winner of the NCAA Division I Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year will be honored on Monday, April 7 at 1:00 p.m. during the Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year Luncheon at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA please check our website www.wbca.org.