Maryland’s Brenda Frese is the AP women’s coach of the year

Maryland coach Brenda Frese was honored as The Associated Press women’s basketball coach of the year Wednesday for the second time in her profession.

Frese acquired eight votes from the 30-member nationwide media panel that votes on the weekly AP Top 25. Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer and North Carolina State coach Wes Moore every acquired seven votes.

“It’s special. Obviously its going to be one I never forget,” mentioned Frese, who additionally was AP coach of the year 19 years in the past when she was at Minnesota. “What makes it so special is having this journey through a pandemic with the most selfless group of people you could go through a pandemic with. No one had Maryland doing anything this season after the graduation and losses of all five starters last year.”

Maryland misplaced 5 starters from final year’s Big Ten championship workforce, however didn’t miss a beat, successful the convention for the sixth time in seven years and going 26-3. The Terrapins misplaced in the Sweet 16 to Texas.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Geno Auriemma, Muffet McGraw and Kim Mulkey are the solely different coaches to win the award a number of instances.

“I’m humbled and honored, that’s some pretty elite company,” Frese mentioned.

She received her five hundredth sport at Maryland earlier this season, making her the winningest coach in program historical past, and has 569 whole victories at Maryland, Minnesota and Ball State.

She was shocked by her father, Bill, who is 89 and has battled prostate most cancers, with the information she had received the award.

“It was absolutely perfect. No better way to here that news come from my dad,” she mentioned. “To have my entire family on the Zoom. I was speechless, blown away, completely surprised.”

Frese mentioned that the season offered her with an escape from what her household was going by.

“It helped you didn’t have as much alone time to think about a lot of things,” she mentioned.

When Maryland received the Big Ten Tournament, Frese’s father and mom, Donna, had been in the stands in Indianapolis. It was the first time Bill has been capable of journey as a result of of the pandemic. She gave him the internet they reduce down.

“Usually he gets a piece of it, but he deserved the whole thing,” she mentioned. “It’s a memory I’ll cherish for a lifetime.”