Blair-Lewis Shines Bright on Mid-Season Watch List for Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year!

HOPEWELL, N.J. (January 22, 2025) — Her Hoop Stats has revealed the 10-member mid-season watch list for the 2025 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats, featuring George Mason women’s basketball head coach, Vanessa Blair-Lewis. This marks the second year of the award, named after the iconic former Harvard head coach, and it is also the second time Blair-Lewis has been included on the watch list. This year’s list comprises coaches from seven conferences, with two hailing from the Atlantic 10. 

Mid-Season Watch List (Ordered alphabetically)

Carly Thibault-DuDonis, Fairfield

Vanessa Blair-Lewis, George Mason

Carrie Moore, Harvard

Larry Vickers, Norfolk St.

Carla Berube, Princeton

Tricia Fabbri, Quinnipiac

Aaron Roussell, Richmond

Aaron Johnston, South Dakota St.

Lindy La Rocque, UNLV

Karen Aston, UTSA

The Blair-Lewis Profile

Head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis has directed the 2024-25 Patriots to the most impressive start in the program’s history at 11-1. With victories over teams in the Big East and ACC, the Green & Gold currently have a record of 15-3, 5-2 in A-10 competition. Blair-Lewis made Posther Hoops’ list of the 12 Most Impressive Mid-Season Coaching Efforts back in December.

During the 2023-24 season, Blair-Lewis guided the Patriots to one of the most triumphant seasons in George Mason women’s basketball history. In only her third season at George Mason, Blair-Lewis steered the Patriots to a 23-8 record, 14-4 in Atlantic 10 play, marking the first 20+ win season since 2017-18. In each season since her arrival, Blair-Lewis has boosted the Patriots’ win count, while the team has set program records for regular-season victories and Atlantic 10 regular-season wins with 23 and 14, respectively. Throughout her three seasons with the Green & Gold, Blair-Lewis has been the mentor for four All-A-10 postseason award winners, including last year’s Most Improved Player, Sonia Smith, and Rookie of the Year, Zahirah Walton. She earned recognition for her achievements by being named a finalist for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year award at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.

Award Criteria & Timeline 

To qualify for the award, coaches must participate in one of the 26 conferences classified as “mid-major.” The following conferences are classified as high-major for the purpose of this award and therefore ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Moreover, Oregon State and Washington State will not be considered this year due to ongoing changes in the Pac-12 Conference membership. Interim head coaches are also eligible, although the total games coached will be factored into the evaluation. 

The 20-member preseason watch list was released in October. The five finalists for the accolade will be revealed in March, with the winner being announced around the time of the Final Four. Coaches will be evaluated throughout the entire season, including postseason play. In addition to on-court performance, other aspects such as recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries, and strategic coaching will also be considered when evaluating each candidate. Previous inclusion in watch lists is not a prerequisite for being considered for future lists. 

About Kathy Delaney-Smith 

Delaney-Smith’s Harvard teams amassed a record of 630-434 (.592) throughout her 40-year coaching career, including a 367-168 (.685) record in Ivy League competition. Delaney-Smith’s 630 victories rank 32nd in Division I history, and she holds the ninth position among coaches who spent their entire career with one institution. 

Delaney-Smith directed her teams to six NCAA Tournament appearances, nine WNIT appearances, and secured three Ivy League championships before the NCAA Tournament provided automatic bids to the Ivy League champion. She has coached eight Ivy League Player of the Year recipients, six Ivy League Rookie of the Year winners, and all 22 of Harvard’s 1,000-point scorers in the program’s NCAA Division I history. 

In 1986, Delaney-Smith was inducted into the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, becoming the first woman ever to receive this honor, even with more than three decades of her career yet to unfold. Additionally, she was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. 

A resident of Newton, Mass., Delaney-Smith is also recognized among the most distinguished high school players and coaches in the state’s history. She was the first woman in the state’s history to achieve 1,000 points while at Sacred Heart High School. As a high school coach, Delaney-Smith led Westwood High School to an overall record of 204-31 over 11 seasons, which included a remarkable 96-game winning streak. 

About Her Hoop Stats 

Her Hoop Stats was established in 2017 with the aim of providing deeper insights into women’s basketball across all levels. We initially started as a statistical platform aiming to offer consistent, dependable, and easily accessible data regarding women’s basketball for both mobile and desktop platforms. Her Hoop Stats has grown to be a leading independent source in the women’s game, offering content through our newsletter, podcast network, YouTube channel, and social media platforms (Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram).