Georgia Lady Bulldog head coach Joni Taylor received national recognition on Tuesday as she was honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), earning the organization’s 2016 Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year Award.
 
 
Taylor’s latest honor comes after she led the Lady Bulldogs to a 20-win season that was highlighted by five wins against ranked opponents and a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. Among the 64-team tournament field, Taylor was the only first-year head coach to lead her team to the ‘Big Dance.’
 
 

“It is such a great honor to be named the Spalding Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year,” Taylor said. “Maggie was one of the great young coaches in women’s basketball, and her legacy will leave a lasting impact on this profession. This award is not possible without the hard work and dedication of my family, our coaches and our student-athletes here at Georgia. Everyone bought into what we wanted to accomplish this season, and this award is a testament to our great university and all those involved with this program. I just want to thank the selection committee for this tremendous honor, and I am thrilled to accept this year’s Spalding Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year award.”

 
 
Taylor began the year by leading the Lady Bulldogs to a 12-1 non-conference record, which was the third-best start by any coach in SEC women’s basketball history in his or her first season with their respective programs. She led her team to seven wins in the last nine regular season games to reach the 20-win mark and a 9-7 record in the rigorous SEC.
 
 
Georgia’s 21-10 record marked only the 12th time in league history that a first-year head coach won 20 or more games in his or her inaugural season at an SEC school.
 
 
Under her guidance, seniors Shacobia Barbee (First Team, All-Defensive Team) and Tiaria Griffin (Second Team) earned All-SEC honors, while rookie Caliya Robinson was named to the 2016 SEC All-Freshman Team. The team’s success also reached off the court as Georgia senior guard Marjorie Butler became the Lady Bulldogs’ first-ever SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2016.
 
 

“Success in your first season as a head coach is a remarkable feat. The WBCA is pleased to announce Joni as the winner of the 2016 Spalding Maggie Dixon Division I Rookie Coach of the Year award,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Joni has captured our attention with her team’s accomplishments this season. Joni has demonstrated immediate success in commanding all aspects of managing a program and will continue to shine in the coaching ranks for years to come. We celebrate her effort on the basketball court as a teacher and equally applaud the extensive role she plays in impacting the lives of her student-athletes.”

 
 
The Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year award is named in honor of the late Maggie Dixon, former Army head coach, whose success during her inaugural year at the Black Knights’ helm was remarkable. Dixon was named 2006 Patriot League Coach of the Year after leading Army to the conference title and its first-ever NCAA Division I tournament appearance. Dixon passed away on April 6, 2006, just a few weeks following the Black Knights’ appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
 
 
Each year, a selection committee comprised of various head women’s basketball coaches from across the country and the brother of the late Maggie Dixon, TCU men’s head coach Jamie Dixon, select the top rookie coach in the country based on several criteria, including team’s record, qualification in postseason tournaments and a team’s improvement from the previous season.
 
 
Taylor will be formally recognized during the WBCA Convention that is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women’s Final Four® in Indianapolis.