CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard Athletics announced today that Ted Minnis and Carrie Moore are the recipients of its two Coach of Excellence honors after leading their teams to standout performances in 2024-25. Minnis is The James Herscot '58 Coach of Excellence, while Moore adds The Ragatz Family Harvard Coach of Excellence to her title in 2025-26.
 
"We are grateful to be able to honor the excellence of our head coaches in this way," said Erin McDermott, The John D. Nichols '53 Family Director of Athletics. "Ted and Carrie exhibited excellence last year through their championship team performances and through their representation of the department on and off campus that exemplifies Harvard Athletics."
 
Minnis, who is The Friends of Harvard Water Polo head Coach, guided the Crimson women's water polo team to its best season in school history and is now a two-time recipient of this honor (2018-19). Harvard finished 2025 with a program-record 26 victories, and was ranked as high as No. 8 nationally. The Crimson opened the campaign by winning 16 of its first 17 contests, with victory No. 16 being Minnis' 250^th of his career. Down the stretch, Minnis had the Crimson playing some its best water polo of the season, finishing with five wins in its last six outings heading into the CWPA Championship. With an NCAA berth on the line, Harvard rose to the occasion, dismissing Mercyhurst before taking down No. 14 Michigan and No. 13 Princeton, both in overtime. The Crimson's three wins in three days secured the program's first CWPA title and sent it to the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history. Harvard ended its historic season ranked 10^th nationally in the final top-25 poll.
 
Moore, The Kathy Delaney-Smith Head Coach for Harvard Women's Basketball, meanwhile, helped the Crimson reach unprecedented heights in 2024-25. In just her third season at the helm, Moore coached Harvard to a school-record 24 wins, including a victory over a top-25 foe for just the second time in 25 years, and guided the Crimson to its first Ivy League tournament crown, which secured the program its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2007. En route to The Big Dance, Moore had the Crimson on the precipice of the top-25 rankings as Harvard received votes in the AP Top 25 on 16 different occasions, including the final poll of the campaign. As a result of the Crimson's success on the hardwood, Moore was named the World Exposure Report Mid-Major Coach of the Year and a finalist for the 2025 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year.
 
A tradition that began eight years ago, The Ragatz Family Harvard Coach of Excellence is awarded to ensure equal representation of coaches across men's and women's programs (having historically gone to a coach of a women's team), while either a men's or women's coach may receive The James Herscot '58 Coach of Excellence. Criteria for selection includes coaching tenure at Harvard, overall contribution to the athletics department, team performance, student-athlete experience and development, leadership within their sport or at Harvard, and other criteria related to excellence in coaching at Harvard. 

Harvard Coach of Excellence Award Recipients

The Ragatz Family Harvard Coach of Excellence

2025-26: Carrie Moore, Women's Basketball
2024-25: Chris Hamblin, Women's Soccer
2023-24: Mike Way, Women's Squash
2022-23: Tjerk van Herwaarden, Field Hockey; Stephanie Wriede Morawski '92, Women's Swimming & Diving
2021-22: Traci Green, Women's Tennis
2020-21: Mel Denham, Rugby
2019-20: Jenny Allard, Softball; Tjerk van Herwaarden, Field Hockey
2018-19: Jenny Allard, Softball  

The James Herscot '58 Coach of Excellence

2025-26: Ted Minnis, Women's Water Polo
2024-25: Billy Boyce, Men's Lightweight Rowing
2023-24: Ted Donato '91, Men's Ice Hockey
2022-23: Andrew Rueb '95, Men's Tennis; Daria Schneider, Men's and Women's Fencing
2021-22: Strength & Conditioning Staff
2020-21: Tommy Amaker, Men's Basketball
2019-20: Kevin Tyrrell, Men's Swimming & Diving; Mike Way, Men's and Women's Squash
2018-19: Brian Baise, Men's Volleyball; Ted Minnis, Men's and Women's Water Polo