The NCAA/WBCA Coaches' Trophy

The Coaches' Trophy is presented by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and awarded to the NCAA Division I women's basketball team that finishes first in the USA TODAY ESPN Division I Top 25 Coaches' Poll. However, you have undoubtedly seen it in its other forms. Waterford trophies are made for champions in a host of other sports including football and men's basketball. Valued at $30,000, the trophy is made of handcrafted Waterford Crystal. While the trophy is obviously sought after for its meaning more than anything else, its structure is incredible.

The National Championship Trophy for collegiate football was first presented in 1986. Waterford crystal crafted into the shape of a football sits atop the base, which is made of ebony. The luminous women's trophy is the shape of a crystal basketball.

Bill Proulx is part of the genius behind the trophy. While Proulx was working for Gerrits Construction, the sons working at the family business decided to do something to honor their father. That something became the football trophy.

After his wife drew the picture of what the trophy should look like in 1984, Prouix took the design to Tiffany, the first producers of the trophy. However, it was decided that the trophy should be made from Waterford Crystal, as it was associated with high style and class.

In a twist of fate, the man who created the trophy, Bill Proulx, would have a conversation with an employer years after his wife designed the trophy. While discussing the football trophy, the idea for a basketball trophy was born. From there, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) trophy for the men's game was created and the women's soon followed. Proulx has remained involved in the housing and production since the beginning.

There is no model for this remarkable work. It is done entirely by memory, a trade passed down from teacher to apprentice, with no hardcopy blueprint.

Past recipients of the NCAA/WBCA Coaches' Trophy: