University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Announces New Contract For 2026 NCAA Championship-Winning Coach Cori Close
May 12, 2026 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – UCLA Athletics today announced a new contract for Michael Price Family UCLA Women's Head Basketball Coach Cori Close, securing her leadership through the 2029-30 season.
"We are extremely proud of what Cori has accomplished in leading our young women," UCLA's Alice and Nahum Lanier Family Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond said. "Winning a national championship is a tremendous achievement, but what truly stands out with Cori is the character, leadership and daily commitment she and her staff bring to help developing her players into the best versions of themselves. We are very fortunate to have Cori leading this program, and we couldn't be more excited about the future of this team."
In 15 seasons at UCLA, Close has built one of the nation's premier women's basketball programs, highlighted by a historic 2026 season and national championship, more than 350 career wins and multiple national and conference Coach of the Year honors.
"I am so grateful to Chancellor Frenk and Martin Jarmond for the opportunity to continue teaching and mentoring the young women who choose UCLA," said Close. "I love being here in Westwood, and I am so excited for what the future holds. I would also like to say thank you to our coaches, student-athletes, support staff, alumni, fans and donors for their belief in our UNCOMMON mission. We would not be where we are today without their support and their commitment to our values. It fills me with such joy to share this with our village, and I hope we can continue to make our Bruin faithful proud."
Under Close, UCLA women's basketball has made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back Final Four runs in 2025 and 2026. She boasts a 358-144 (.713) record in 15 seasons and is the only head coach in program history to eclipse 300 career wins.
The record-breaking 2025-26 season included a program-best 31-game winning streak, UCLA's first undefeated regular-season conference championship (18-0), and a second-consecutive Big Ten Tournament title. UCLA's 37 wins were the most ever by a Big Ten team, culminating in a 79-51 victory over South Carolina to capture the 2026 national championship. The Bruins finished No. 1 in the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls, marking the highest final ranking in program history.
Following the season, the Bruins had a record-breaking six players selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Overall, Close has coached 23 WNBA draft picks during her time in Westwood. Beyond competitive success, Close's teamalso achieved a 3.714 team GPA during winter quarter of 2026, setting a new program record in the classroom.
Close was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2025-26 and swept the national coach awards in 2024-25 (AP, Naismith, USBWA, WBCA) and also was honored as the 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year (media).
