Women's Basketball

Bentley's Stevens Earns WeCOACH Lifetime Achievement Award

Stevens Tallied Over 1,000 Wins in Her Coaching Career

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Barbara Stevens, legendary former basketball coach at Bentley University, has been named a recipient of the prestigious WeCOACH Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Jostens, as announced by WeCOACH on Friday.

The WeCOACH Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to women in sports who succeed at the highest levels in their respective careers, while also displaying an unwavering commitment, pioneering spirit and trailblazing leadership to empower and pave the way for girls and women in all sports and levels to breakthrough for many generations to come. 
 
Stevens amassed over 1,000 wins in her 43-year collegiate coaching career. She was Bentley's head coach for 34 years (1986-2020) in the Northeast 10 Conference, where she won more than 900 games. Stevens led the Falcons to the NCAA Division II national title in the 2013-14 season, a year in which the Falcons posted a perfect 35-0 record.

Stevens' Bentley tenure included an .818 winning percentage, 31 NCAA Tournament berths, 14 NCAA Regional Championships, 10 appearances in the NCAA Semifinals, 12 30-win seasons (including five straight from 1989-93) and 20 Northeast 10 Regular Season Championships.

Stevens was named the NCAA DII National Coach of the Year in 1992, 1999, 2001, 2013, and 2014. She was recognized as the Northeast 10 Coach of the Year 16 times.

Stevens was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. She was also inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, in addition to being a member of the Bentley, Clark, Bridgewater State, and New England Basketball halls of fame. 

Other Lifetime Achievement Award recipients this year include: Kathy Aspaas, former Head Swim Coach, Minot High School (Minot, ND) & Century High School (Bismarck, ND), Founder and former Owner & Head Coach of ASK Swim, LLC; Valorie Kondos Field, former UCLA Head Women's Gymnastics Coach; Dr. Tina Sloan Green, former Temple University Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach & Professor Emerita, Black Women in Sport Foundation Co-Founder; Billie Jean King, Founder, Women’s Tennis Association and Women’s Sports Foundation; and Lorene Ramsey, former Illinois Central College Head Women's Basketball Coach & Head Softball Coach. 

WeCOACH prepares to celebrate its inaugural National Women Coaches Day (NWCD) on Saturday, March 7th. NWCD, which is powered by WeCOACH and Hudl, honors the powerful influence of women coaches who lead, mentor and inspire the next generation of athletes and is a commitment to building a future where women coaches belong and thrive in every coaching arena. The day is also intended to raise awareness of the need for more women in coaching roles across all sports and levels. 

ABOUT WeCOACH
Founded in 2011, WeCOACH is a one-of-a-kind 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches in all sports and levels through year-round professional growth & leadership development programs. Prior to Title IX, over 90% of women’s collegiate sports teams were coached by women. Today, over 50 years later, the data indicates that number has decreased to 41% across all three NCAA Divisions, with only 7% women head coaches of color. Only 5% women coach men's teams. At the youth level, the data is hard to estimate, approximately less than 20% of teams are coached by women. WeCOACH launched MOVE the NUMBERS in 2022 to help change the landscape for women coaches and the student-athletes they lead. If she can see her, she can be her. For more information visit MOVE the NUMBERS.

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.

Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast 10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.