Ranking Big Ten Women’s Basketball Coaches: USC Trojans’ Lindsay Gottlieb On Top?

NEWSTIEN · January 25, 2025

The Big Ten has seven teams ranked in the latest edition of the AP Top-25 Poll. It’s easy to see that the conference has a lot of quality coaches, but which of them stand out among the rest? Where does USC Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb rank?

Gabriel Duarte | 19 Hours Ago

Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
In this story:

  • USC Trojans
  • Nebraska Cornhuskers
  • Maryland Terrapins
  • UCLA Bruins
  • Ohio State Buckeyes

The Big Ten has some of the best coaching staffs in the country. With seven teams ranked in the AP Top-25 Poll, it was hard to narrow down which coaches stand out among their peers. Take a look at a list of the top five coaches in the Big Ten.

5. Amy Williams – Nebraska

Feb 11, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Amy Williams against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The only team that is not ranked on the list, Nebraska coach Amy Williams has led the Cornhuskers to a 15-4 overall record and is 6-2 in Big Ten play. Nebraska’s conference losses come from the two best teams in the Big Ten in USC and UCLA. Williams’ has led the Cornhuskers to a win over No. 20 Michigan State on Jan. 8. The Cornhuskers have a big matchup looming vs. No. 12 Ohio State on Jan. 26. If Williams can lead Nebraska to a win over the Buckeyes, it could have big implications on the standings of the conference.

4. Brenda Frese – Maryland

Feb 29, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Brenda Frese reacts during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Maryland coach Brenda Frese and the Terrapins kicked off their season with a 14-game win streak, which included wins over three ranked opponents. The Terrapins suffered their first loss of the season to USC as the Trojans squeezed out a 79-74 win over Maryland, before falling to Texas and Ohio State in consecutive games. Maryland’s three losses come at the hands of three top-15 teams. Frese has the Terrapins in prime position to bounce back with another top-25 matchup vs. UCLA on Jan. 26.

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3. Kevin McGuff – Ohio State

Ohio State University women’s basketball coach Kevin McGuff reacts after a play during the November 12, 2024 game against Charlotte. / Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A veteran of the conference, Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff has the Buckeyes rolling heading into their game vs. Nebraska. Ohio State was one of the last remaining undefeated teams before a slip up vs. unranked Penn State on Jan. 19. A 17-game win streak to begin the season lifted Ohio State to inside the top ten. The Buckeyes have yet to face UCLA and USC, but have basically ran the table so far on their season. McGuff has his work cut for himself with five of the last ten games of the season being against ranked opponents.

2. Lindsay Gottlieb – USC

Dec 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb reacts in the first half against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Galen Center. USC defeated Fresno State 89-40. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb has a fair argument for why she should be at the top. The Trojans have looked unstoppable at times and haven’t had to break much of a sweat in Big Ten play. However, an early season loss to No. 3 Notre Dame puts Gottlieb second on the list. To her credit, since the loss to the Fighting Irish, the Trojans have looked like an improved team. It may seem easy to coach when you have a genarational talent in JuJu Watkins and a potential top WNBA draft pick in Kiki Iriafen, but Gottlieb deserves her fair share of the credit as the mastermind behind the recent success of the program. The Trojans won’t have an easy end to the season with two games coming up against UCLA, but if USC get it done vs. the Bruins, Gottlieb could elevate into the top spot.

1. Cori Close – UCLA

Jan 20, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close reacts to a play against the Baylor Lady Bears during the first half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images / Chris Jones-Imagn Images

It’s hard to not put the coach of the undisputed No. 1 program in the country as the top in her conference. UCLA coach Cori Close has the Bruins on the verge of a very special season. The program has found success under Close, but hasn’t been able to get over the hump. This season, things seem to be clicking on all cylinders. Sitting with a perfect 19-0 record, Close picked up one of the biggest wins in program history as they defeated No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 at the Pauley Pavillon on Nov. 24. It doesn’t get any easier for the Bruins as they face ranked opponents in five of their next six games, but Close should have them ready heading into the final stretch.

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