March 31, 2026

NORTH DAKOTA STATE’S JORY COLLINS RECIPIENT OF 2026 KAY YOW AWARD
Presented annually to the top head coach in Women’s division I college basketball.

BOSTON, MA -- North Dakota State’s Jory Collins is the recipient of the 2026 Kay Yow National Coach of the Year award. The award is presented annually to the top head coach in Women’s division I college basketball, who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court.

Collins led North Dakota State to its' best season in over 20 years. The Bison finished 29-5 overall and won their first-ever Summit League regular season title, finishing 15-1. The 15 leagues wins are the most in program history.

“Coach Collins has completely changed the fortunes of North Dakota State women’s basketball,” said Angela Lento, Vice President of College Insider, Inc. and member of Kay Yow award voting panel. “The program has taken a step forward in each of his seven seasons, culminating with the best-ever season at the division I level. The four best seasons in program history have come with Jory Collins as the head coach. He’s a program builder.”

The Bison won 23 consecutive games. The longest streak since 2004-05 included a road win at South Dakota State, which was ranked No. 1 in the Women's Mid-Major Top 25 at the time. Prior to this season North Dakota State had never been ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25, but they climbed all the way to No. 1 before finishing the regular season ranked No. 5. The Bison also received votes in both the AP Top 25 Poll and USA Today Top 25 Poll this season.

Collins, who became the first coach in school history to be named Summit League Coach of the Year, had several players recognized as well. Avery Koenen was named the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year as well as earning a spot on the All-Summit League First Team and All-Defensive Team.

Karrington Asp was tabbed the Sixth Woman of the Year and Freshman of the Year to go along with a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Marisa Frost and Jocelyn Schiller rounded out the group each earning a spot on the All-Summit League Second Team.

The Kay Yow award pays tribute to one of the true icons of women’s college basketball.

Yow became the sixth head coach in the history of Division I women’s basketball to reach the 700-win plateau, finishing with a sterling record of 737–344 in her 34 seasons at NC State.

She was the first women’s coach in ACC history to eclipse 600 wins at the same school and directed NC State to 19 top-three finishes in the ACC standings. Her 1997-98 squad advanced all the way to the Final Four in Kansas City.

She was wildly successful in every forum in which she coached, leading gold medal winners at the 1981 World University Games, the 1986 Goodwill Games, 1986 World Championship Games and the 1988 Olympic Games.

As an assistant, Yow was on the Olympic gold medal winning 1984 coaching staff in Los Angeles. In addition, she was an assistant on the gold medal-winning teams at the 1979 World University Games, the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 R. Williams Jones Cup.

Coach Yow had been on a leave of absence from coaching since early January 2009 because of her battle with cancer. She passed away from stage 4 breast cancer on January 24, 2009.

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
Larry Vickers, Norfolk State (2025); Carly Thibault-DuBonis, Fairfield (2024); Teri Moren, Indiana (2023); Dawn Plitzuweit, South Dakota (2022); Jarrod Olson, California Baptist (2021); Brian Giorgis, Marist (2020); Kellie Harper, Missouri State (2019); Sue Guevara, Central Michigan (2018); Maureen Magarity, New Hampshire (2017); Brian Boyer, Arkansas State (2016); Tricia Fabbri, Quinnipiac (2015); David Six, Hampton (2014); Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, Albany (2013); Karl Smesko, FGCU (2012); Matt Bollant, Green Bay (2011); Connie Yori, Nebraska (2010).

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NOTE: Portions of the press release came from North Dakota State University releases.