March 16, 2010
ATLANTA -
Illinois State head women's basketball coach Robin Pingeton was named a Russell Athletic/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Regional Coach of the Year, as announced by the WBCA Tuesday. The eight regional coaches of the year are now in contention for the WBCA National Coach of the Year award, which will be announced April 5.
The WBCA honors coaches from eight regions in Division I. Pingeton was chosen in Region Six, which consists of the Missouri Valley Conference, Big Ten, Horizon League and Chicago State. The coaches in each region vote on the top coach in their respective region and then the regional winners are voted on for the national coach of the year award.
The other WBCA Regional Coaches of the Year are Geno Auriemma (Connecticut), Sue Semrau (Florida State), Matthew Mitchell (Kentucky), Joe Foley (Arkansas-Little Rock), Connie Yorie (Nebraska), Adrian Wiggins (Fresno State) and Tara VanDerveer (Stanford).
Pingeton guided Illinois State to a 23-6 overall record in the regular season, tied for the second-most regular season wins ever. ISU won 20 games for the fourth-straight season, the longest streak in school history, and had a 15-game winning streak, the second-longest in school history.
Illinois State posted a 16-2 record in Valley play, tied with the 1988-89 season for the second-best conference record all-time. For the second time in school history, the Redbirds won the MVC Regular-Season title for a third-consecutive year (1988-90); which included the first back-to-back outright championships. The Redbirds rode a 14-game Valley winning streak, the second-longest ever, to clinch the regular-season championship in just 15 games.
Illinois State has received votes in the last two Associated Press Top-25 polls. The Redbirds have received votes in the AP poll in each of the last three seasons, earning the No. 24 ranking for a week in 2008.
The Redbirds reached the semifinals of the 2010 State Farm MVC Tournament and will make their fourth-straight postseason appearance with a berth in the 2010 Postseason WNIT. ISU hosts Butler Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
