Cori Close, who has led the UCLA women’s basketball program since 2011, has signed a contract extension that will keep her with the Bruins through the 2029-30 season. The announcement came on Tuesday, with the school confirming the deal but not disclosing financial terms.
Close’s previous contract ran through 2029 with a base salary of $877,500, and she earned a $5,000 bonus for the national championship victory. Under her guidance, UCLA captured its first women’s NCAA national title in 2025—the program’s first since winning the AIAW championship in 1978—defeating South Carolina 79-51 in the final game.
“We are incredibly proud of what Cori has accomplished in developing our student-athletes,” said athletic director Martin Jarmond. “Winning a national championship is a tremendous achievement, but what truly stands out with Cori is the character, leadership, and daily commitment she and her staff bring to helping her players become the best versions of themselves. We are fortunate to have Cori leading this program, and we are excited about the future.”
Close has compiled a 358-144 record at UCLA, becoming the first women’s basketball coach in school history to surpass 300 wins. She has led the Bruins to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and two Final Four berths, including the championship run last season. Her recent accolades include back-to-back national coach of the year honors from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, a sweep of the AP, Naismith, and WBCA Coach of the Year awards in 2024-25, and the Big Ten Coach of the Year award last season, following a Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor in 2019.
“I love being in Westwood, and I am so excited for what the future holds,” Close said in a statement. “It fills me with such joy to share this with our village, and I hope we can continue to make our Bruin faithful proud.”
The extension comes on the heels of a historic WNBA Draft for UCLA, where six players were selected—five in the first round—setting records for the program and surpassing UConn’s 2002 mark of four first-round picks. Among the draftees were center Lauren Betts (No. 4 to Washington Mystics), guard Gabriela Jaquez (No. 5 to Chicago Sky), Kiki Rice (No. 6 to Toronto Tempo), Angela Dugalić (No. 9 to Mystics), Gianna Kneepkens (No. 15 to Connecticut Sun), and Charlisse Leger-Walker (No. 19 to Sun).