March 29, 2005

ATLANTA - Gonzaga University women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves was named the Russell Athletic/Women's Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division I Region 8 Coach of the Year as voted on by the WBCA members of each region. Graves guided the Bulldogs to a record setting year which included Gonzaga's first appearance in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls, the Bulldogs first regular-season West Coast Conference title in 17 years and a berth in the Women's NIT. Gonzaga finished the year at 28-4 following a second round loss at Southwest Missouri State University.

Pokey Chatman of Louisiana State University was named the WBCA Coach of the Year after receiving the most votes among the regional coaching winners. Chatman was the Region 3 Coach of the Year. Also making the list as Regional winners were Dawn Staley of Temple University (Region 1), Sue Semrau of Florida State University (Region 2), Doug Bruno of DePaul University (Region 4), Bill Fennelly of Iowa State University (Region 5), and Jim Foster of Ohio State University (Region 6).