Cori Close, who has coached in 15 consecutive NCAA basketball tournaments, has been named to replace Nikki Caldwell as coach of the UCLA women’s basketball program.
Caldwell accepted the coaching job at LSU April 3.
This is the first head coaching assignment for Close, who has worked as associate head coach or assistant on teams that won at least 20 games in 15 of the previous 16 seasons and won or shared a total of 11 conference championships.
“Cori has established herself as one of the top women’s basketball associate coaches in the nation and is certainly ready to take the next step,” Guerrero said. “Cori has enjoyed great success at Florida State and UC Santa Barbara, on the court, off the court and on the recruiting trail, and has a great vision for the future of our program. She will continue to build upon the foundation that has been established over the last few years."
“Cori is a great fit for UCLA,” Petrina Long, UCLA Sr. associate athletic director/senior women’s administrator, said. “She has enjoyed great success throughout her career and possesses all the tools to keep our program at a high level. She is thrilled to be coming back to Westwood and we are excited to have her back.”
Close, who served on the Bruin coaching staff in 1994 and 1995, returns to Westwood after spending the last seven seasons as associate head coach at Florida State.
Considered one of the top offensive minds in the game, Close helped guide the Seminoles into a nationally-recognized program in her time. FSU ranked among the nation’s top 30 teams in scoring, field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage the last two seasons.
Caldwell accepted the coaching job at LSU April 3.
This is the first head coaching assignment for Close, who has worked as associate head coach or assistant on teams that won at least 20 games in 15 of the previous 16 seasons and won or shared a total of 11 conference championships.
“Cori has established herself as one of the top women’s basketball associate coaches in the nation and is certainly ready to take the next step,” Guerrero said. “Cori has enjoyed great success at Florida State and UC Santa Barbara, on the court, off the court and on the recruiting trail, and has a great vision for the future of our program. She will continue to build upon the foundation that has been established over the last few years."
“Cori is a great fit for UCLA,” Petrina Long, UCLA Sr. associate athletic director/senior women’s administrator, said. “She has enjoyed great success throughout her career and possesses all the tools to keep our program at a high level. She is thrilled to be coming back to Westwood and we are excited to have her back.”
Close, who served on the Bruin coaching staff in 1994 and 1995, returns to Westwood after spending the last seven seasons as associate head coach at Florida State.
Considered one of the top offensive minds in the game, Close helped guide the Seminoles into a nationally-recognized program in her time. FSU ranked among the nation’s top 30 teams in scoring, field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage the last two seasons.
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