Carol Eckman Award


The Carol Eckman Award is an award given annually since 1986 to the women's college basketball coach that "best demonstrates the character of the late Carol Eckman, the mother of the collegiate women's basketball national championship". Given by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, the award is named for former women's head coach Carol Eckman, best known for establishing in 1969 the first National Invitational Women's Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament.
Eckman, who served as head coach at West Chester State College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Lock Haven State College, started the national tournament while at West Chester State College. She started the sixteen team tournament in 1969. Eckman invited 15 teams to the West Chester campus, charging each $25 to cover officials and awards. This tournament served as a springboard for the formation of the AIAW two years later, which administered national championships for many sports, including basketball, from 1971 until 1982, when the NCAA became involved in women's sports.
The criteria for the award include:
YearCoachSchoolReference
1986Laura MappBridgewater
1987Jody ConradtTexas
1988Kay YowNC State
1989Linda Hill-MacDonaldMinnesota
1990Dr. Maryalice JeremiahCal State Fullerton
1991Marian WashingtonKansas
1992Jill HutchinsonIllinois State
1993C. Vivian StringerIowa
1994Sue GunterLSU
1995Ceal BarryColorado
1996Joann RutherfordMissouri
1997Amy RuleyNorth Dakota State
1998Kay JamesSouthern Miss
1999Susan SummonsMiami-Dade Community College
2000Kathy Delaney-SmithHarvard
2001Juliene B. SimpsonEast Stroudsburg
2002Barbara StevensBentley
2003Marsha SharpTexas Tech
2004Deirdre KaneWest Chester
2005Bonnie HenricksonKansas
2006Gail GoestenkorsDuke
2007Theresa GrentzIllinois
2008Doug BrunoDePaul
2009Muffet McGrawNotre Dame
2010Kevin CookGallaudet
2011Joanne BoyleCalifornia
2012Sue RamseyAshland
2013Jan RossOklahoma
2014Jane AlbrightNevada
2015Lisa BluderIowa
2016Ginger ColvinCampbellsville
2017Naomi GravesSpringfield
2018Tara VanDerveerStanford
2019Agnus BerenatoKennesaw State
2020Harry PerrettaVillanova