Hoyt Named WAC Coach of the Year
3/9/2020 12:32:00 PM | General, Women's Basketball
Third-year coach becomes first honoree in program history
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Women's Basketball Head Coach Jacie Hoyt has claimed the 2020 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Coach of the Year distinction, announced by the conference office today. After leading her team to the program's first-ever regular-season conference championship, she becomes the first in history to win this honor.
"No coach has ever gotten this award without having great staff and players around them," said Hoyt. "I have been fortunate to be surrounded by such hard-working assistants and players that have bought into our vision and culture. I am also very thankful for an amazing support system off the court which includes my husband Daniel, family members-Team Hoyt, and other coaches who constantly encourage me."
In her third year as the program leader, coach Hoyt has taken the team to new heights. The Roos enter the WAC Tournament with their first-ever No. 1 seed. The 20-10 overall record is the highest wins mark since 2011-12. She has led Kansas City to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 1991 and 1992 teams.
The 13-3 conference record this year established a new program all-time best. Hoyt stands 47-44 (.516) overall and is 29-17 (.630) in conference play. The .630 winning percentage in the WAC is the best all-time in school history.
Since Jan. 18, Jacie has engineered one of the best late-season stretches in memory. Heading into the conference tournament, the Roos have won five-straight games and 10-of-11 overall, a stretch that pushed them into the driver's seat to win the conference championship. Going back earlier in the year, perhaps the signature win that vaulted Kansas City on the national map was a 59-56 win against SEC mainstay Missouri. That victory in front of a spirited Swinney Center crowd on Dec. 8 was the first over the Tigers in nearly 30 years.
"Kudos to coach Hoyt for winning the WAC Coach of the Year," said Director of Athletics Dr. Brandon Martin. "Her leadership this season has epitomized our departmental mantra of comprehensive excellence. Coach Hoyt has been a tremendous teacher, mentor, and guide for the student-athletes in her program. We are grateful for her leadership and look forward to the continued elevation of the program."
Her teams during the past three years have always been known for a fast-paced offense coupled with a swarming defense. In her first season in 2017-18, the Roos led the conference in steals and were second in scoring offense. That same style is evident in this year's success. As a team, Kansas City ranks first in the conference in blocks (4.4 bpg) and field-goal percentage defense (.369) while hoisting up 7.0 made three-pointers per game, which is second in the league.
Hoyt was named the 10th head coach in Kansas City women's basketball history on May 11, 2017. Hoyt took the reins of the Roos program after spending the previous three seasons (2014-17) as an assistant coach at Kansas State. Prior to that, she was an assistant coach at Nevada (2011-14) for three years. As a player, she was a team captain and standout point guard at Wichita State from 2006-09.
The top seeded Roos match up with No. 8 Chicago State in the WAC quarterfinals on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT.
