Head Coach Vanessa Blair Lewis

[DRK331]

Here is a thread for all discussion/news on GMU Women's Basketball Head Coach Vanessa Blair Lewis, who is a 2025 A-10 Conference Tournament Champion and also led the Women's team to the 2025 NCAA Tournament as an 11 seed

 

[DRK331]

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[DRK331]

Coach VBL interview at A10 media day

 

[Pablo]

Blair-Lewis Named to 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watch List - George Mason University Athletics

HOPEWELL, N.J. (October 29, 2025) — Head women's basketball coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis has been named to the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year

gomason.com

Women's Basketball10/29/2025 11:00:00 AM

"HOPEWELL, N.J. (October 29, 2025) — Head women's basketball coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis has been named to the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award Watch List, presented by Her Hoop Stats. This is Blair-Lewis' third selection to the watch list."

"Award Eligibility & Schedule

To be eligible for the award, coaches must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be 'mid-major.' The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Additionally, Oregon State and Washington State remain ineligible this season as membership in the Pac-12 Conference evolves. Interim head coaches are eligible, though total games coached were taken into consideration.

The 10-person midseason watch list will be announced in January. The five finalists for the award will be announced in March, with the winner being named around the Final Four. Coaches will be assessed across the entire season, including postseason play. Beyond on-court success, other factors such as recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries, and tactical coaching will also be weighed when assessing each candidate. Inclusion on previous watch lists is not a requirement to be considered for future watch lists."

 

[jessej]

Blair-Lewis Named to 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watch List - George Mason University Athletics

HOPEWELL, N.J. (October 29, 2025) — Head women's basketball coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis has been named to the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year

gomason.com

Women's Basketball10/29/2025 11:00:00 AM

"HOPEWELL, N.J. (October 29, 2025) — Head women's basketball coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis has been named to the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award Watch List, presented by Her Hoop Stats. This is Blair-Lewis' third selection to the watch list."

"Award Eligibility & Schedule

To be eligible for the award, coaches must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be 'mid-major.' The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Additionally, Oregon State and Washington State remain ineligible this season as membership in the Pac-12 Conference evolves. Interim head coaches are eligible, though total games coached were taken into consideration.

The 10-person midseason watch list will be announced in January. The five finalists for the award will be announced in March, with the winner being named around the Final Four. Coaches will be assessed across the entire season, including postseason play. Beyond on-court success, other factors such as recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries, and tactical coaching will also be weighed when assessing each candidate. Inclusion on previous watch lists is not a requirement to be considered for future watch lists."

I fear that with another good year we lose her to a bottom of the barrel east coast P4 team

 

[DRK331]

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New Vanessa Blair Lewis interview

 

[psyclone]

New Vanessa Blair Lewis interview

VERY good interview!! VBL is quite the impressive person! Nice comments on benefits of scheduling against good programs in the non-conference. Insights on how she delegates responsibilities to her staff. And how she talks shop with her referee-husband! Hope she stays with Mason forever!

 

[Pablo]

Patriots to Face St. Bonaventure on Wednesday Evening in N.Y. - George Mason University Athletics

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - The George Mason women's basketball team heads north this week to face the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Wednesday, January 21. The game will

gomason.com

"PATRIOT POINTS

• The Patriots are 7-0 in conference play for the first time in program history
• George Mason is one of 8 schools where both their men's and women's teams are undefeated in conference play
• Head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis won her 400th career game on January 4, 2026 vs. vcu, 68-58
• Head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis is the longest tenured Black female head coach in D1 (27 years)"

 

[DRK331]

New article on Coach VBL:

How Vanessa Blair-Lewis built a women's basketball winner at George Mason

Vanessa Blair-Lewis has won titles at three different Division I programs and is the longest tenured Black woman head coach in women's basketball.

t.co

 

[InterVarsity]

VERY good interview!! VBL is quite the impressive person! Nice comments on benefits of scheduling against good programs in the non-conference. Insights on how she delegates responsibilities to her staff. And how she talks shop with her referee-husband! Hope she stays with Mason forever!

Finally got to watch. Very good interview indeed. Great insight.

 

[psyclone]

According to the announcement of the joint coaches show back in the fall, it indicated that VB-L would have one on Feb 2. Did that happen? Anyone have a link to it?

The George Mason Basketball Coach’s Show Premieres Oct. 28 in Fairfax - George Mason University Athletics

The George Mason Basketball Coach's Show is back for another season of in-depth analysis and interviews with some of your favorite Patriot student-athletes!

gomason.com

Thanks!

 

[DRK331]

According to the announcement of the joint coaches show back in the fall, it indicated that VB-L would have one on Feb 2. Did that happen? Anyone have a link to it?

The George Mason Basketball Coach’s Show Premieres Oct. 28 in Fairfax - George Mason University Athletics

The George Mason Basketball Coach's Show is back for another season of in-depth analysis and interviews with some of your favorite Patriot student-athletes!

gomason.com

Thanks!

Coach's show with VBL here

 

[psyclone]

Coach's show with VBL here

Thanks so much...I really appreciate it!

Mason hired a real gem in Coach Blair-Lewis. I know weather and road conditions may have diminished the attendance at the show, but she deserves a bigger crowd for all that she has accomplished here.

 

[jessej]

Thanks so much...I really appreciate it!

Mason hired a real gem in Coach Blair-Lewis. I know weather and road conditions may have diminished the attendance at the show, but she deserves a bigger crowd for all that she has accomplished here.

If she wins another title this season she will get that - likely at a P4 school

 

[psyclone]

If she wins another title this season she will get that - likely at a P4 school

She certainly would be on P4 short lists. Here's hoping that her ties to the DMV keep her here longer and that the Maryland or even perhaps the UVa jobs don't open up any time soon.

 

[jessej]

She certainly would be on P4 short lists. Here's hoping that her ties to the DMV keep her here longer and that the Maryland or even perhaps the UVa jobs don't open up any time soon.

Nothing in the DMV - but look at the bottom half of the P4 conferences and maybe Big East, but on the East Coast - where she has spent her playing and coaching career

ACC - Boston College, Pitt, Florida State, Miami, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech

Big 12 - Cincinnati, UCF

Big Ten - Penn State, Rutgers

SEC - Florida, Georgia

an offer from a bad P4 - is likely a lateral move or worse