General | 5/11/2026 2:00:00 PM

TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - WeCOACH is proud to announce the upcoming NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) Class #56 and NCAA Academy 2.0 (A2.0) Class #9, taking place May 17-20, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. Hosted in partnership with the NCAA, these premier leadership development programs provide multi-day, transformational experiences for women coaches across all sports and collegiate levels.

This year, 122 women coaches will participate, including 98 in the NCAA WCA and 24 in A2.0. Participants represent 20 sports and a broad range of institutions, including NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as the NAIA, 3C2A, NJCAA, and others. Attendees include head and assistant coaches, administrators, graduate assistants, and strength coaches.

“Through its continued partnership with WeCOACH, the NCAA is proud to support and host the 2026 NCAA Women Coaches Academy and NCAA Academy 2.0,” said DeeDee Merritt, NCAA Managing Director of Leadership Development. “These academies create transformative leadership opportunities that empower women coaches, support their retention, and reinforce the collegiate athletics landscape.”

“The Academy provides a transformational experience where participants leave with renewed purpose, actionable strategies, and a lasting support network,” said Vanessa Fuchs, CEO of WeCOACH. “Our data shows graduates continue to remain in coaching at rates well above the national average.”

The Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) will have four women coaches represented at the 2026 NCAA Women Coaches Academy, including Christina Davis of Allegheny College, Riley Felton and Anna Taylor of Bethany College, and Jill Harris of Washington & Jefferson College. The PAC is also recognized as a conference sponsor of the leadership development programs. 

Christina Davis joined the Gators’ women’s basketball coaching staff in August 2023 after beginning her coaching career at Point Park University. A former student-athlete at Butler County Community College and Saint Vincent College, Davis helped Saint Vincent capture the 2018-19 PAC Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament. 

Riley Felton completed her first season as Bethany’s head women’s volleyball coach in 2025 after a decorated playing career with the Bison and became the youngest head coach in the PAC at just 23 years old. A four-time All-PAC honoree as a middle blocker and three-year captain, helped lead the Bison to the 2023 PAC championship as the tournament's MVP.

Anna Taylor completed her first season as a graduate assistant coach for the Bethany women’s volleyball program in 2025 after a standout playing career with the Bison. Taylor finished eighth in program history with 1,303 career digs and helped lead Bethany to back-to-back PAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.

Jill Harris completed her second season on the W&J women’s basketball coaching staff in 2025-26 after earning a promotion to full-time assistant coach. Harris helped guide W&J to consecutive PAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 2024-25. Prior to coaching, Harris played collegiately at Valparaiso University, Johnson C. Smith University and Mercer University, where she earned Southern Conference All-Freshman Team honors.

About WeCOACH

Founded in 2011, WeCOACH is a one-of-a-kind 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches in all sports and levels through year-round professional growth & leadership development programs. Prior to Title IX, over 90% of women’s collegiate sports teams were coached by women. Today, more than 50 years later, the data indicates that this number has decreased to 41% across all three NCAA Divisions, with only 7% of head coaches being women of color. Only 5% of women coach men's teams. At the youth level, the data is difficult to estimate, but approximately fewer than 20% of teams are coached by women. WeCOACH launched MOVE the NUMBERS in 2022 to help change the landscape for women coaches and the student-athletes they lead. If she can see her, she can be her. For more information visit MOVE the NUMBERS.