Struggle and Joy: the Cori Close method

PHOENIX – Cori Close is someone who knows when to uplift and when to push.

It’s that balance that’s made Close the most successful head coach in UCLA women’s basketball history with over 350 wins to her name and still counting. This season especially, as the Bruins enter the Final Four and chase a national championship, it’s been joy and fulfillment that’s been on the forefront of Close’s mind.

She’s one of the most media visible coaches in women’s college basketball today, scarcely turning down a talk show or podcast appearance and using her platform to continually elevate not just her team, but women’s basketball as a whole. Her postgame conferences read like a motivational seminar, rife with aphorisms about standards, principles and commitment.

Jordan Teller – The Sporting Tribune

Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins claps on the sideline during an NCAA basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Wednesday January 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.

But, as joyous as Close is, she’s also someone who’s unafraid to bring the hammer down. In practices, she’s laser focused on improvement. Should a play go wrong and the effort isn’t to her liking, the Bruins can expect wall sits or baseline sprints in their future, all while Close is still making speeches about growth or excellence, though in a decidedly different tone.

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Pushing for the best

“She just wants the best from you and she knows what your goals are and what it takes to get there,” senior forward Timea Gardiner said. “Sometimes, those days are tough and she’s on you all the time. But you learn how to get the perspective that she wants what’s best for you and she knows what it takes to get there.”

Close is the embodiment of the two sides of leadership, nurturing and demanding, both uplifting her players so they have the space to grow and pushing their limits so that they grow further still.

Jordan Teller – The Sporting Tribune

Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins on the sideline during an NCAA basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Wednesday January 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.

The fine line that Close walks is what she calls the balance between struggle and joy.

“You try to celebrate what you want to see more of and celebrate the growth that you see and then still have an edge about you,” Close said. “I don’t think anybody grows to their maximum level and when it’s just joy and it’s just loosey goosey. But… if you’re just demeaned and it’s just laborious and you’re struggling all the time, I don’t think you get your maximum growth.”

It’s the little things

Gardiner is one of several Bruins with multiple seasons under her belt in the Cori Close Experience. Gardiner transferred to UCLA in 2024 after two seasons at Oregon State and she has seen how far Close’s commitment to standards from big to small can be.

One example that came to Gardiner’s mind was a time when the team forgot to complete their meal order forms on time. Close wasn’t pleased and Gardiner said that Close told everyone to “take care of their crap!”