UCLA Anderson Honors Cori Close With Leadership Award
John Wooden Global Leadership Award recipient Cori Close was honored by UCLA Anderson as three students received $35,000 fellowships.
By Academic Writing Club Newsroom
UCLA Anderson School of Management honored Cori Close with the 2026 John Wooden Global Leadership Award at a gala attended by more than 500 people. Three UCLA Anderson students will each receive $35,000 fellowships from the event’s net proceeds. Close has led UCLA women’s basketball since 2011 and guided the program to a 37–1 record and its first NCAA championship in 2026. The award recognizes her leadership and commitment to student-athletes’ personal development.
Championship Leadership Recognized
Close earned her Master of Educational Leadership and Administration from UCLA in 1995 and joined the UCLA women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach in 1993. She became the first coach in the history of the women’s basketball program to surpass 300 victories, while also receiving Big Ten Coach of the Year and multiple national coach of the year honors in 2026.
Gareth James, Dean and John E. Anderson Chair in Management at UCLA Anderson School of Management, said:
“We are honoring Cori because she manifests something Coach Wooden understood deeply: Leadership is ultimately about what you bring out in other people. That combination — an uncompromising pursuit of excellence and a profound investment in others — makes Cori a particularly fitting recipient of an award that bears Coach Wooden’s name.”
Lessons From John Wooden
Cori Close, Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach at UCLA, said:
“You can’t have a committed team unless you have a connected team. I want to learn. I want to give wisdom when appropriate. But I want to create a landscape where they feel empowered to become the best version of themselves. It’s our job as leaders to create a landscape where everybody can feel safe, seen and heard. And then we try to just celebrate what we want to see more of.”
UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close.
Fellowships For UCLA Anderson Students
Coco (Hsiu-Wen) Cheng, Caleigh Hernandez and Nisha Viswanathan were named 2026 John Wooden Leadership Fellows. Each student will receive a $35,000 fellowship funded through net proceeds from the event.
Former UCLA and NBA star Marques Johnson pays tribute to coach John Wooden.
The fellowships support UCLA Anderson students who embody Wooden’s leadership ideals and commitment to improving the lives of others.
Cori Close in conversation with Brian Cornell, board chairman and former chief executive officer of Target Inc.
A Continuing Leadership Program
The event also recognized former fellows. UCLA Anderson uses the Wooden Global Leadership Program to bring Wooden’s principles, including ethics and teamwork, and his Pyramid of Success into the classroom.
