Cori Close, UCLA head coach, has taken the team to unbelievable heights—with 297 wins, she became the coach with the most wins in UCLA women’s basketball history. She’s also guided her teams to six NCAA Tournament berths in only the last seven seasons. But while her court career is well-lauded, we fans are left to wonder: Is Cori Close married?

With all her public accomplishments, Cori Close has not been much of an open book personally. Little is known about her romantic relationships.

Keeping her personal life private

If Cori Close has a husband, that is one question she has decided to ignore. In an era in which so much of both public and private lives is posted on social media, Close has maintained a wall between her work and what takes place behind the scenes. However, the UCLA Women’s Basketball site had a few details to let the fans in on.

By the looks of it, the coach hasn’t entirely dismissed the idea of getting married. In ‘Meet Coach Cori Close,’ the program discloses the two things on the coach’s bucket list: Go to Israel, find a husband. But that’s not all. When asked about whom she’d like to meet the most, this was her response: Mother Teresa, Tony Dungie, my husband. 

Now, whether that’s genuine sentiment or pure sarcasm, coach Close has learnt to keep her life under wraps. For her, it has rather been a whole lot of focus on growing the sport and impacting the players’ lives, something she carries from her mentor, John Wooden.

“He taught me that these young women, and the growth of their experience—who they’re becoming, is way more important than anything else,” Close said. “And, to stay … it’s all about people and process.”

Close herself grew up void of the opportunities when she picked soccer as a young girl. She hence gravitated towards basketball, which had better scholarship opportunities. But while she believes her love for the game was circumstantial, it has dictated the many ways of her life; including relationships. “Basketball has been the fabric of my life, from relationship building to work ethic and time management. Basketball has been an absolute game changer for how I live my life,” she conveys via UC Santa Barbara Alumni.

Cori Close, born July 29, 1971, is loved and trusted by her players for the way she has nurtured them. 14 years at UCLA and there are quite a few stories the Bruins could talk of. For Charisma Osborne: “She really cares about us more than just basketball players.” And that has motivated her to step on the court to play for her.

The UCLA HC may not have disclosed her personal life and may be without a partner for now, but love doesn’t seem to have ever evaded her. Right from meeting Wooden as a 22-year-old to navigating through powerhouse programs, the coach has ensured to surround herself with people that matter and that is what she tries to reciprocate.

Cori Close’s coaching journey; but it hasn’t been just about that

Close started her coaching career at UCLA in the mid-1990s, where she served as an assistant during the 1994 and 1995 campaigns. She then spent almost a decade at U.C. Santa Barbara, her alma mater, where she rose through the ranks from assistant coach to associate head coach. But it was in Florida State, where she spent 7 seasons as associate head coach and co-recruiting coordinator that she found her footing. She’d help the Seminoles to national prominence in scoring and three-point shooting and along the way, make form some good bonds.

The coach reveals that the names of her two dogs, Mocha and Latte, were named by her FSU teammate.

However, her biggest decision came in 2011. When she went back to UCLA, this time as the head coach, and that’s when things really took off since. She led them to their first WNIT Championship in 2015. And in 2024, she took the Bruins back to their second consecutive Sweet Sixteen. The way Close sees this journey, it is about playing an impactful role well beyond college years.

“I am most passionate about creating uncommon transformational experiences that teach, mentor, and equip young women for life beyond UCLA and basketball,” she says. “I want to be a part of who these women are becoming and who they are impacting.” 

While people may wonder about the marital status of Cori Close, what truly catches the eye is her devotion to her players and her program.