North Carolina State University Athletics
Coach Moore Named on Coach of the Year Watch List
2/19/2025 11:48:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. – Wes Moore, head coach of the No. 13/12 NC State women's basketball team, has been tabbed to the 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Watch List presented by AXIA Time.
Coach Moore is one of 15 coaches in the country named on the watch list, as well as one of three in the ACC.
Moore is a prior four-time finalist for the award (2014, 2019, 2021 and 2022) and was a semifinalist in 2017 and 2020.
This season, Coach Moore, who is in his 12th season at the helm and 36th overall, has led the NC State Wolfpack to a 20-5 record and 12-2 mark in the ACC, which is currently second in the league standings. The 20-win season marks Coach Moore's 11th at NC State, 10 straight, as well as 31st of his 36-year coaching career. This year, Coach Moore has led the Pack to three ranked wins, coming against No. 10 Duke and No. 18 Ole Miss at home, as well as No. 22 Florida State on the road.
Moore surpassed his 850th career win in the Pack's 97-74 win at Florida State and he is closing in on 300 wins at NC State with 293. His team is 14-0 at home this season, while winning 19 straight games at Reynolds Coliseum. NC State is currently ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll and No. 12 in the WBCA Coaches Poll. The Pack has been ranked in the top 10 twice this season and was ranked in all but one AP Poll this season (that week the Pack received the most votes among unranked teams).
Moore was named the 2021 WBCA National Coach of the Year and is a three-time ACC Coach of the Year (2017, 2021 and 2022), AP National Coach of the Year Runner-Up (2019) and has 14 total Coach of the Year honors.
Coach Moore's 851 wins ranks No. 2 among active coaches in NCAA Division I Women's Basketball, as well as fourth among men's and women's coaches. Coach Moore has 48 ranked wins in his career, as well as 24 NCAA Tournament appearances, five Sweet 16s, two Elite 8s and now one Final Four coming last season in 2024.
Under Coach Moore's leadership, NC State boasts one of the best backcourts in the country. As top WNBA Draft prospects, Aziaha James leads the Pack with 17.8 points per game, which is No. 6 in the ACC, and Saniya Rivers logs 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Graduate senior guard Madison Hayes leads the team with 7.0 rebounds per game, while Zoe Brooks paces the way with 4.0 assists per contest.
Coach Moore's staff has also been big in NC State women's basketball's success not only during the 2024-25 season, but for the past several years. Associate head coach Nikki West is in her 10th season at NC State (2013-2018, 2022-present), and she has been working with Coach Moore for 20 years. Coach West and assistant Kevin Leatherwood work with the posts. Brittany Morris is in her fourth year and Ashley Williams is in her third season, having played for the Pack and Coach Moore from 2013-17, while both work close with the guards. Houston Fancher is in his seventh year on Coach Moore's staff and Rachel Stockdale (Executive Director of Operations) and Brandon Miller (Director of Scouting and Video Operations) have been at NC State for 12 and eight years, respectively. Graduate manager Kayla Jones is in her second year in her role after having played for Coach Moore from 2017-22.
Coach Moore and the Pack are set to face No. 20/20 Georgia Tech on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Watch List
1. Geno Auriemma, UConn
2. Kenny Brooks, Kentucky
3. Kim Caldwell, Tennessee
4. Mark Campbell, TCU
5. Cori Close, UCLA
6. Nell Fortner, Georgia Tech
7. Lindsey Gottlieb, USC
8. Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
9. Kevin McGuff, Ohio State
10. Jeff Mittie, Kansas State
11. Wes Moore, NC State
12. Kim Mulkey, LSU
13. Shea Ralph, Vanderbilt
14. Vic Schaefer, Texas
15. Dawn Staley, South Carolina
