It’s about 20 minutes after UCLA’s second-round win over Richmond in the women’s NCAA Tournament and Cori Close has taken a seat alongside two of her players at the postgame press conference.
This in itself qualifies as news. Because throughout the entirety of the Bruins’ 84-67 win at Pauley Pavilion, Close never sat down. She was in constant motion in front of the UCLA bench, exhorting, cajoling, reminding and pushing her team to attain a level of perfection that is sought but never achieved.
It was the same sort of energy Close displayed on a regular basis at Milpitas High, where she starred in basketball, softball and even swung a mean badminton racket.
With the press conference concluded, Close is standing again, this time taking a few moments to harken back to her formative years in the South Bay.
“I have a village of people I still keep in contact with,” Close said. “We lived there for 35 years and it was such a huge part of my life. Our family was entrenched in that community and I’m definitely proud of where I came from.”
Close, 53, preaches old-school values as instilled by her late father Don Close, who coached boys basketball at Milpitas, and John Wooden, the legendary “Wizard of Westwood” who died in 2010.
In an era of Name, Image and Likeness and the transfer portal that screams instant gratification, Close remains process-driven and pushes personal development beyond the hardwood.
“I think when you strip it all way, character really matters,” Close said. “A genuine connection and caring for people really matters. Coach Wooden would say that coaching people’s hearts is the most important thing. And that never gets old.”
The No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, UCLA (32-2) faces fifth-seeded Mississippi (22-10) in the Spokane Regional at 7 p.m. tonight in the Sweet 16. Close won the United States Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year Award and is a finalist for the Naismith Award.
In her 13th season at UCLA, Close has a record of 319-142, yet women and losing are seldom topics of conversation. While Close’s sideline demeanor is nothing like the placid Wooden, who would sit in his chair with a silver cross in his left hand and a rolled up game program in his right, her adherence to his beliefs and principles is absolute.
“He always cared more about impacting their lives than impacting wins,” Close said. “And the great news is, when you do that selflessly and consistently and you have a high attention to detail, it ends up impacting winning too.”
With a basketball coach for a father at Milpitas, Close was aware of who Wooden was but never imagined the 10-time national champion would become a treasured mentor. It began when Close was an assistant women’s coach from 1993 to 1995 and men’s coach Steve Lavin brought her along for a visit to Wooden’s home.
Wooden asked her how she spelled her name, and was tickled that it was “C-o-r-i” because that’s how his great-granddaughter’s name was spelled. Thus began a relationship where Close would meet with Wooden at his home once a week, and she continued to make visits when she became an assistant at her alma mater UC Santa Barbara, where she played basketball after graduating from Milpitas.
As an associate head coach at Florida State from 2004 up until Wooden’s death in 2010, Close made sure to meet with Wooden whenever she made it back to Santa Barbara to visit her parents.
Close’s messaging remains consistent — to empower young women to succeed outside of basketball while at the same time being detail-oriented and demanding in terms of execution and fundamentals. Fail to set a screen properly or make a hustle play and you’re coming out of the game.
After a 36-36 first half, UCLA ran away from Richmond with a 29-7 third quarter. Even with the game in hand, Close never took a seat and called a quick timeout after the Bruins gave up back-to-back 3-point baskets in the fourth quarter.
“We’ve got to continue to push the envelope of not giving away those possessions or have those mental breakdowns where you’re not doing your job,” Close said. “The bottom line is to execute the scouting report and do your job.”
Lauren Betts, a 6-foot-7 first-team All-American center and transfer from Stanford, understands what Close expects.
“Coach Cori has held us accountable, and she’s not changing the standard,” Betts said after scoring 30 points and 14 rebounds against Richmond. “If you’re not doing what you need to do, you’re going to come out. I think that’s just going to push individually so when we’re on the floor, we do what we need to do to win.”
As dominant as Betts was against Richmond, Close was even more proud of the way she’s matured as a young woman. Both at Stanford and upon arrival at UCLA, Betts was overcome with anxiety and depression and shared her story about being bullied as a youth over her height with both Sports Illustrated and ESPN.
“I have to say, I might be more proud of her courage to share her story,” Close said. “The biggest difference you’re seeing out there is she doesn’t only see herself as a basketball player anymore; she talks about being a daughter and a sister and her interests outside of basketball.
“Because of that, her identity is not only as a basketball player anymore. She’s actually freed up to master her craft at a different level. It took courage to share her story, and I’m as proud of that as I am her performance on the hardwood.”
It is UCLA’s third straight trip to the Sweet 16, with the Bruins’ best finish under Close being an Elite Eight appearance in 2018. Close, however, is taking the longer view.
“We are not just here to get the most minutes and to play the biggest role,” Close said. “We’re here to have a transformational experience that pays dividends long after the ball goes flat.”