Photo by: Zachary Lucy
10/29/2026 9:44:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOPEWELL, N.J. – North Dakota State women's basketball head coach Jory Collins has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2027 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats, the organization announced on Thursday morning.
Collins is one of 20 head coaches on the preseason list and joins Aaron Johnston from South Dakota State as the only Summit League coaches to earn the honor. Collins was also one of five finalists for the award last season.
Collins guided the Bison to their third straight 20-win season with a 29-5 overall record last season, which was the most wins in the NDSU Division I era. He also helped the Bison win their first-ever Summit League regular season title after assembling a 15-1 overall record in league play, which was the most Summit League wins in program history.
Collins was the first coach in Bison history to be named the Summit League Coach of the Year last season and was also the recipient of the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year award.
The full release can be viewed here.
NDSU will open the 2026-27 season at Gonzaga on Monday, Nov. 2.
Award Eligibility & Schedule
To be eligible for the award, coaches must compete in a conference deemed to be "mid-major." The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Coaches in the re-formed Pac-12 are eligible. Interim head coaches are eligible, though total games coached are taken into consideration.
The 10-person midseason watch list will be announced in January. The five finalists for the award will be announced in March, with the winner being named around the Final Four. Coaches will be assessed across the entire season, including postseason play. Beyond on-court success, other factors such as recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries, and tactical coaching will also be weighed when assessing each candidate. Inclusion on previous watch lists is not a requirement to be considered for future watch lists.
Collins is one of 20 head coaches on the preseason list and joins Aaron Johnston from South Dakota State as the only Summit League coaches to earn the honor. Collins was also one of five finalists for the award last season.
Collins guided the Bison to their third straight 20-win season with a 29-5 overall record last season, which was the most wins in the NDSU Division I era. He also helped the Bison win their first-ever Summit League regular season title after assembling a 15-1 overall record in league play, which was the most Summit League wins in program history.
Collins was the first coach in Bison history to be named the Summit League Coach of the Year last season and was also the recipient of the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year award.
The full release can be viewed here.
NDSU will open the 2026-27 season at Gonzaga on Monday, Nov. 2.
Award Eligibility & Schedule
To be eligible for the award, coaches must compete in a conference deemed to be "mid-major." The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Coaches in the re-formed Pac-12 are eligible. Interim head coaches are eligible, though total games coached are taken into consideration.
The 10-person midseason watch list will be announced in January. The five finalists for the award will be announced in March, with the winner being named around the Final Four. Coaches will be assessed across the entire season, including postseason play. Beyond on-court success, other factors such as recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries, and tactical coaching will also be weighed when assessing each candidate. Inclusion on previous watch lists is not a requirement to be considered for future watch lists.
Tuesday, October 27
Sunday, September 20
Sunday, March 22
Friday, March 20
