Shelton led the 2012 Tar Heels to a 23-2 record and a spot in the NCAA championship game for the fourth straight season and fifth time in the past six years. She was named 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year after the Tar Heels claimed the conference's regular-season and tournament championships, both for the second year in a row.
After 32 seasons as a head coach, all at UNC, she has a career record of 550-140-9.
Other regional honorees are:
- Mid-Atlantic: Kristen Holmes-Winn, Princeton
- Mideast: Andrew Griffiths, Lafayette
- Northeast (tie): Cheryl Murtagh, Northeastern; Carla Tagliente, Massachussets
- West: Tracey Fuchs, Northwestern
One of the regional winners will be announced as the NFHCA Division I National Coach of the Year on Dec. 17.
