Turner on Delaney-Smith Award watch list
WBB: The award is given to the nation's best mid-major coach
Murray State Head Coach Rechelle Turner has been named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List. Turner is one of 20 coaches on the list.
The award, in its third year, is named after the former Harvard head coach.
Here is the list of all 20 coaches on the watch list:
Last season, Turner led Murray State to their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship, and the program’s first NCAA Tournament trip since 2008. Turner is the first coach in Murray State history to lead the Racers to both a regular season title and a tournament championship. Her 136 wins are the most in Murray State history. The Racers won 25 games last season, which was the most in a single-season in program history.
After playing an exhibition game next Monday, Murray State will officially open their 2025-26 season on the road, on November 7th, at Southern Indiana.
According to the award’s website, the 10-person midseason watch list will be announced in January. The five finalists for the award will be announced in March, with the winner being named around the Final Four. Coaches will be assessed across the entire season, including postseason play. Beyond on-court success, other factors such as recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries, and tactical coaching will also be weighed when assessing each candidate. Inclusion on previous watch lists is not a requirement to be considered for future watch lists.