Cori Close

Cori Rashel Close (born July 29, 1971) She played college basketball as a guard for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos from 1989 to 1993, serving as a team captain during her final two seasons and helping them reach consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Following the end of her playing career, Close served as an assistant coach with UCLA from 1993 to 1995, UC Santa Barbara from 1995 to 2004, and the Florida State Seminoles from 2004 to 2011 before being named UCLA's head coach in 2011. Close won the 2026 basketball championship with the Bruins. The Bruins went 37–1 and won the program's first basketball championship in the NCAA era.

College career UCSB 1989-93 Close played four years on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's basketball team. As of the 2025-26 season, she was listed in the career top ten in assists and steals for the Gauchos.

Coaching career UCLA (1993-95) Close was assistant on the Bruin coaching staff in for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons, where she established a mentorship relationship with coach emeritus John Wooden. Close said that the bond started because she shared the same first name spelling as Wooden's great-granddaughter.

UC Santa Barbara Cori became an assistant coach at her alma mater in 1995.

Florida State In May 2004, Close became associate head coach at Florida State under head coach Sue Semrau. The Seminoles made the NCAA Tournament in each of Close's seven seasons on the staff in Tallahassee, including the program's first appearances in the Sweet Sixteen (2007) and Elite Eight (2010).

UCLA (2011-present) On April 21, 2011, Close was named head coach for the UCLA Bruins women's basketball program. She led the Bruins to their first Final Four of the NCAA tournament in 2025, after taking them to the Sweet Sixteen six times, advancing to the regional final once in 2018.

In the 2026 NCAA national championship game, the Bruins defeated South Carolina 79–51 for the program's first NCAA title.

"Mind Gym"

One of the tenets Close brought to the program along with physical training was mental training, known as "mind gym". Players work on a program to help build confidence and self-image, and to move past poor performances. The mind gym has been one of the keys to the success of the program.

Leather pants Close explained the superstition around her wearing leather pants on gameday was started by strength coach Ash Samaniego in Paris, France, before the 2024-25 season opener. Close said she is undefeated when wearing the pants since the Bruins beat Louisville in that 2024 game. She did not wear the pants in the 2026 NCAA semifinal against Texas. March 20, 2025 – Close was named USBWA Coach of the Year April 2, 2025 – Close was the 2025 Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year