With the Longhorns women’s basketball team in the midst of another stellar season, they have been popular in award lists of late. That continued on Wednesday when head coach Vic Schaefer moved closer to making history. The two-time national Coach of the Year was named to the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Watch List.
Under Schaefer’s leadership, the Lady Longhorns have posted a 24-3 record and beaten ten ranked teams. They are the only team other than UCLA with 10 or more QUAD 1 wins. While the Longhorns’ play has catapulted them to NO.4 in the country, it is a continuation of the excellence Schaefer has created in Austin.
Since taking over in Texas, Schaefer has led the Longhorns to a 168-39 record. That includes a 92-12 mark since the 2023-2024 campaign, which has taken the program to new heights. During the Scheafer era, Texas has added to its trophy case with two conference regular-season championships, two conference tournament championships, and four Elite Eight appearances.
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While Schaefer has an impressive resume, he does face competition. The other coaches in the running include Geno Auriemma, Jennie Baranczyk, Kim Barnes-Arico, Carla Berube, Cori Close, Krista Gerlich, and Jan Jensen.
Although Schaefer will be watching how voting for the Naismith plays out, his main focus is on bringing. a national title to Austin. The Longhorns fell just a few wins short of a title last season, adding fuel for the 2025-2026 campaign. That has been evident so far as they have beaten nearly every time in their path.
Regardless of how the season ends, Schaefer has built a compelling case to be named the best women’s basketball coach in the country.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas coach Vic Schaefer on Naismith Coach of Year Watch List
