SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Emmanuel women's basketball head coach Andy Yosinoff is once again only a few steps away from the pinnacle of basketball honors, as he returns to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame voting ballot for a third consecutive year, as announced on Friday, Dec. 19. The Naismith committee placed Yosinoff back on the list of eligible candidates in the Women's nomination category, based on his contributions to women's basketball in his distinguished career.
Yosinoff has been eligible for selection to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame since 2023, when his name first appeared on the eligible candidates list. The Saints head coach is in the midst of his 49th season as coach of the women's basketball program. He joins a list of 189 other eligible candidates across the categories of North American nominee, Women's nominee, Contributors nominee, International nominee, Women's Veteran nominee, and Veteran nominee.
"It is once again a thrill and honor to be considered for nomination by the Naismith Hall of Fame," said Yosinoff. "I couldn't have made it to this point in my career without the overwhelming support I've experienced."
The illustrious career of Yosinoff includes 935 victories, good for the eighth-most in NCAA history, across all divisions. He sits two wins away from taking seventh place on the all-time wins list, as the legendary Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw holds 936 career wins. He is one of 11 coaches in NCAA Women's Basketball coaching history with over 900 career wins, regardless of division.
Yosinoff's 935 wins are the third-most for a coach at one institution in NCAA history, trailing only the Naismith Hall of Fame careers of Geno Auriemma (1,261 wins at UConn) and Pat Summit (1,098 wins at Tennessee). With Auriemma still leading the UConn Huskies women's team, Yosinoff is second in career coaching victories in the NCAA among active coaches.
Yosinoff started his career in 1977 and in the 49 seasons that have followed, his career record of 935-322 has him at a .744 winning percentage. Over the span, Yosinoff and the Saints have only finished a season with a below .500 record twice; his first season in 1977-78 and only again in 1997-98.
"To the people of Emmanuel College, my near-400 former student-athletes, and every coach I've had the chance to work with, I can't thank you all enough," said Yosinoff. "This honor is not possible without your hard work and decades of support."
His Saints teams have made 21 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three trips to the Sweet Sixteen, two trips to the Elite Eight, and the 2000-01 appearance in the Final Four. Yosinoff and the Saints have added 18 conference championships since joining the GNAC in 1995.
On the lengthy list of accomplishments in the career of Yosinoff, he was elected to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Hall of Fame in 2010, and the University of Rhode Island Hall of Fame in 2013. This past year, he was named to the Emmanuel College Hall of Fame Class of 2025, and was selected to the Class of 2026 Jewish Sports Heritage Association Hall of Fame.
He was the Jewish Coaches Association recipient of the Red Auerbach Coach of the Year Award and the D3Hoops.com Division III Northeast Coach of the Year in 2012, after guiding the Saints to the Elite Eight the previous season.
Finalists for enshrinement in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be announced on Monday, Feb. 9, with details on television network and broadcast time to be released at a later date, according to a release published by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The finalists will then be cut down to the Hall of Fame inductees list and announced on Saturday, April 4, during the NCAA Final Four Weekend. A full list of details on television network and broadcast time will be announced later.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME RELEASE, ANNOUNCING THE CLASS OF 2026 ELIGIBLE NOMINEES
