Cori Rashel Close (born July 29, 1971) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach for the UCLA Bruins women's team. 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.Robinson, Cameron Teague - UCLA clobbers South Carolina for first NCAA national title in program history. New York Times, April 5, 2026

College career UCSB 1989-93 Close played four years on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's basketball team.UCSB Gauchos women's basketball record book 2025-26. ucsbgauchos.com retrieved May 1, 2026 As of the 2025-26 season, she was listed in the career top ten in assists and steals for the Gauchos. She was the Big West conference tournament player of the game in 1993. Her teams advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 1992 and 1993. College statistics Source

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.Shultz, Alec - UCLA women's basketball Coach Cori Close learned from a legend, John Wooden. Los Angeles Times, March 17, 2016Jennings, Chantel - Tuesdays with Wooden: How visits with legendary UCLA coach shaped Cori Close's Final Four path. New York Times, April 4, 2025 Close said that the bond started because she shared the same first name spelling as Wooden's great-granddaughter.Megdal, Howard - U.C.L.A. Women's Coach Cori Close Follows John Wooden's Example. The New York Times, November 16, 2016

UC Santa Barbara Cori became an assistant coach at her alma mater in 1995.Foster, Ellah - Work Hard, Play Hard: An Alum's Rise to Head Coach at UCLA. University of California, Santa Barbara Alumni, retrieved April 7, 2026

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".Nguyen, Thuc Nhi - How UCLA's 'mind gym' helped Lauren Betts rebuild her confidence. Los Angeles Times, December 5, 2023 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.Sawyer, Haley - How UCLA women's basketball's 'mind gym' set up a national title clash with South Carolina. Los Angeles Daily News, April 4, 2026

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.Reid, Tia - Why is UCLA coach Cori Close wearing leather pants vs South Carolina in NCAA championship? Mississippi Clarion-Ledger (Greenville News greenvillieonline.com), April 5, 2026 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. Although not superstitious herself, she stated in the pregame interview that enough people commented that she felt she needed to wear them for the 2026 National Championship game.

Head coaching record

Awards and honors March 23, 2016 – Close was named the 2016 United States Marine Corps/WBCA NCAA Division I Region 5 Coach of the Year March 6, 2019 – Close was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year by Pac-12 women's basketball media members March 20, 2025 – Close was named USBWA Coach of the YearMoran, Malcom - UCLA's Close is USBWA Women's National Coach of the Year. U.S. Basketball Writers Association, March 20, 2025 April 2, 2025 – Close was the 2025 Naismith Women's College Coach of the YearConsidine, Madeline -Bruins' Cori Close Earns Another National Coaching Honor. Sports Illustrated, April 3, 2025, In the midst of a record-breaking season and UCLA's first NCAA Final Four appearance, Coach Cori Close has been honored as the 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year.

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