The winner is selected by Conference coaches, who are not allowed to vote for themselves. Former Arizona coach Lute Olson won the award a record seven times.
Once known simply as the Coach of the Year Award, it was renamed in John Wooden’s honor following his death in June 2010.
Wooden coached the UCLA Bruins for 27 years, winning a record 10 national championships, including seven straight. He retired in 1975, the year before the award began.
Dick DiBiaso of Stanford and George Raveling of Washington State were co-winners in the award’s inaugural year. Both schools finished in the lower half of the conference that year.
DiBiaso is the only coach to have received the award with a losing record. He was a first-year coach for the Cardinal with only one returning starter, and the team lost a number players to injury.
Since the conference expanded to 10 teams in 1978, the winner of the award has typically qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Marv Harshman went 19–10 with Washington in 1981–82 and fellow Huskies coach Bob Bender finished 16–12 in 1995–96 when the schools landed in the National Invitation Tournament.
1990–91 winner Kelvin Sampson guided Washington State to a 16–12 record and did not compete in a postseason tournament.
Below you’ll find tables showing the winners of the award by year and by schoo.
Pac-12 Coach of the Year Winners by Year
| Season | Coach | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | Mick Cronin | UCLA |
| 2021–22 | Tommy Lloyd | Arizona |
| 2020–21 | Andy Enfield | USC |
| 2019–20 | Mick Cronin | UCLA |
| 2018–19 | Mike Hopkins | Washington |
| 2017–18 | Mike Hopkins | Washington |
| 2016–17 | Sean Miller | Arizona |
| 2015–16 | Dana Altman | Oregon |
| 2014–15 | Dana Altman | Oregon |
| 2013–14 | Sean Miller | Arizona |
| 2012–13 | Dana Altman | Oregon |
| 2011–12 | Lorenzo Romar | Washington |
| 2010–11 | Sean Miller | Arizona |
| 2009–10 | Herb Sendek | Arizona State |
| 2008–09 | Lorenzo Romar | Washington |
| 2007–08 | Trent Johnson | Stanford |
| 2006–07 | Tony Bennett | Washington State |
| 2005–06 | Ben Howland | UCLA |
| 2004–05 | Lorenzo Romar | Washington |
| 2003–04 | Mike Montgomery | Stanford |
| 2002–03 | Mike Montgomery | Stanford |
| 2002–03 | Lute Olson | Arizona |
| 2001–02 | Ernie Kent | Oregon |
| 2000–01 | Steve Lavin | UCLA |
| 1999–2000 | Mike Montgomery | Stanford |
| 1998–99 | Mike Montgomery | Stanford |
| 1997–98 | Lute Olson | Arizona |
| 1996–97 | Ben Braun | California |
| 1995–96 | Bob Bender | Washington |
| 1994–95 | Jim Harrick | UCLA |
| 1993–94 | Lute Olson | Arizona |
| 1992–93 | Lute Olson | Arizona |
| 1991–92 | George Raveling | USC |
| 1990–91 | Kelvin Sampson | Washington State |
| 1989–90 | Jim Anderson | Oregon State |
| 1988–89 | Lute Olson | Arizona |
| 1988–89 | Ralph Miller | Oregon State |
| 1987–88 | Lute Olson | Arizona |
| 1986–87 | Walt Hazzard | UCLA |
| 1985–86 | Lute Olson | Arizona |
| 1984–85 | Stan Morrison | USC |
| 1983–84 | Marv Harshman | Washington |
| 1982–83 | George Raveling | Washington State |
| 1981–82 | Marv Harshman | Washington |
| 1980–81 | Ralph Miller | Oregon State |
| 1979–80 | Ned Wulk | Arizona State |
| 1978–79 | Bob Boyd | USC |
| 1977–78 | Gary Cunningham | UCLA |
| 1976–77 | Dick Harter | Oregon |
| 1975–76 | Dick DiBiaso | Stanford |
| 1975–76 | George Raveling | Washington State |
Winners by School
| School | Winners | Years |
| Arizona | 11 | 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2022 |
| Washington | 8 | 1982, 1984, 1996, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2019 |
| UCLA | 7 | 1978, 1987, 1995, 2001, 2006, 2020, 2023 |
| Stanford | 6 | 1976, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008 |
| Oregon | 5 | 1977, 2002, 2013, 2015, 2016 |
| USC | 4 | 1979, 1985, 1992, 2021 |
| Washington State | 4 | 1976, 1983, 1991, 2007 |
| Oregon State | 3 | 1981, 1989, 1990 |
| Arizona State | 2 | 1980, 2010 |
| California | 1 | 1997 |
| Colorado | 0 | — |
| Utah | 0 | — |