Texas Tech's Gerlich Named to 2026 Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List
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The national spotlight is shining bright on Lubbock once again. On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the Atlanta Tipoff Club officially announced that Krista Gerlich has been named to the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year watch list.
The Texas Tech Lady Raiders head coach is the only Big 12 coach included on the prestigious list. She joined elite names like Geno Auriemma of the No. 1 UConn Huskies and Cori Close of the No. 2 UCLA Bruins.
Texas Tech Lady Raiders' Historic 19-Game Winning Streak
The honor comes as Gerlich has guided Texas Tech to a 23-4 start, the program’s best start since the 2004-05 season.
LET’S GO 👏 @CoachGerlich was named to the Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List!#WreckEm pic.twitter.com/KYGYJkHwnp
— Lady Raider Basketball (@LadyRaiderWBB) February 18, 2026
The 2025-26 campaign began with 19 consecutive victories, tying the program record for single-season wins. The previous benchmark was set by the 1992-93 national championship team.
Now in her sixth season at the helm of her alma mater, Gerlich continues to build on that championship lineage. The connection between past and present could not be more fitting. She once helped cut down the nets as a player, and now she is guiding a new generation with that same championship standard.
Hired in August 2020, Gerlich returned to Lubbock with the mission of restoring Lady Raider basketball to national prominence. Step by step, season by season, that vision has taken shape.
2024-25 Momentum
The Lady Raiders won 19 games and reached the quarterfinals of both the Big 12 Tournament and the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament. Texas Tech earned its 1,000th win in program history with a victory over Utah in the Big 12 Tournament. That also made her snap a 22-year drought of winning multiple games at the conference tournament.
In postseason play, Tech defeated the 4-seed Wyoming and overall No. 1 seed Virginia Tech in the WBIT before falling in the quarterfinals. Gerlich also coached Bailey Maupin and Jasmine Shavers to All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors, with both scoring over 500 points during the season.
2023-24 Growth and Breakthrough
In her fourth season, Gerlich led Tech to 17 victories and back-to-back winning seasons. The Lady Raiders opened the year 11-0 and secured a ranked win over No. 24 Iowa State.
Texas Tech recorded its first 20-win season and postseason appearance since 2012-13, advancing to the third round of the WNIT. The Lady Raiders earned their first postseason victory since 2011-12 and shared the 2022 preseason WNIT crown.
In 2021-22, Texas Tech defeated rival Texas in Austin. That became the first Lady Raider coach to win there since 2012-13. That season included three AP Top 25 victories, including wins over No. 25 Kansas State and No. 15 Oklahoma.
The victory over Texas also marked the first road sweep of Texas and Oklahoma in the same season in program history. During her first season in 2020-21, Gerlich led Tech to a win over No. 20 Texas.
Texas Tech Legend On and Off the Court
Gerlich’s résumé did not start at Texas Tech. It was built over years of consistent winning and championship culture.
At UT Arlington, Gerlich became the program’s all-time winningest coach, recording 121 wins. She earned Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors in 2019 and led the Lady Mavs to their first postseason victory and first Sun Belt regular-season title.
At West Texas A&M University, she compiled a 168-53 record, captured four consecutive South Division Lone Star Conference titles and three consecutive Lone Star Conference championships, and led the Lady Buffs to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run.
Across 15 years as a head coach prior to this season, Gerlich accumulated multiple conference titles, eight 20-win seasons, and numerous All-Americans and all-conference selections. Winning has followed her at every stop. Gerlich’s legacy at Texas Tech University extends far beyond the sidelines.
As a player from 1989-93, she helped guide Tech to the 1993 NCAA National Championship. She earned three All-Southwest Conference selections and ranks third in school history in career assists with 553. She also ranks third in career three-point field goals with 220 and finished her career with 1,324 points.
Her No. 21 jersey was retired on Dec. 5, 1993, making her one of only three Lady Raiders to receive that honor.
With a 23-4 record and sole representation from the Big 12 on the Naismith Watch List, Krista Gerlich’s sixth season has become a defining chapter in her mission to restore Lady Raider basketball. The recognition from the Atlanta Tipoff Club places her among the elite coaches in women’s college basketball this season.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.