The Best Coach No One Talks About

As a prep site, we talk a whole lot about the coaches who can recruit the best kids, but bringing in the best doesn’t automatically make a program great. The coaches who have a gift for molding the kids they bring in and truly developing them are what sets the great programs apart from good ones. THAT is the epitome of Coach Craig Skinner and the dynasty he has created at Kentucky.

Entering into his 20th season with the Wildcats this fall, the six-time SEC coach of the year, held a winning record of 444-147. His arrival turned the program (which hadn’t seen a winning season in five years) into a consistent SEC title contender and NCAA tournament team. And not to mention, National Champions back in 2020!

Transitioning from last season, UK took a big hit to their roster. And I will say what we were all thinking a few months ago: “How are they going to dig themselves out of this one?” All-American MB Azhani Tealer graduated, All-American RS Reagan Rutherford transferred to the Longhorns, national champion middle Elise Goetzinger left to go to Creighton, and MB Jordyn Williams transferred to K-State…YIKES!

Then, as if they needed any more bad luck, one of their go-to outsides from last year, Erin Lamb, has been in and out with injury and freshman OH Hannah Benjamin tore her ACL before the season even started. Oh, and not to mention powerhouse program Texas waltzed into the SEC this season making things even tougher.

Who else but Craig Skinner could possibly find a way to turn this plummeting roster of girls into SEC champions for the EIGHTH YEAR IN A ROW!

Among the current Wildcat starting lineup you have young members: redshirt freshmen middle blockers Brooke Bultema and Jordyn Dailey, sophomore libero Molly Tuozzo, and freshman OH Asia Thigpen who has taken on a starting role in the absence of Lamb. While this isn’t the starting lineup anyone expected going into this year, Skinner has worked hard to develop these young players to not just compete but succeed and become a top-12 team in the nation.

Despite the roster shakeups and the injuries that would have sent most teams into a tailspin, Skinner’s ability to shape this Kentucky team into SEC champions for the eighth straight year is a testament to his coaching genius. It’s not just about the recruits he brings in—it’s about the systems he builds, the legacy he’s creating, and how he transforms potential into success. He’s the coach who doesn’t just recruit winners…he creates them, and as long as he’s at Kentucky, expect the Wildcats to continue rising to new heights.

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