Jan. 4, 2024
BOSTON, MA -- Utah State University head coach Danny Sprinkle is the recipient of the Jim Phelan award ‘Mid-Season’ honors.
Utah State is one of just three schools in the nation returning zero points this season. The Aggies also have the second-fewest returning rebounds (0.004 percent) and are tied for the second-fewest returning assists (0.003 percent).
Despite the lack of returning production, Sprinkle has led Utah State to 12-straight wins, which is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the nation. The win streak is tied for the eighth-longest in program history.
"Danny Sprinkle began his tenure at Utah State with basically no returning players," said Angela Lento, Vice President College Insider, Inc. “Two months into the season he has best start to a season, by a first-year coach, in school history. He inherited a Montana State program which had one winning season in 15 years and put together four straight winning seasons before taking over at Utah State. He's on a short list of young, up and coming stars in the profession."
Utah State's 13-1 start is the best start to a season under a first-year Aggie head coach in program history.
The Jim Phelan Award is named in honor of a legendary bow-tied coach who spent his entire head coaching career at Mount Saint Mary’s University.
Phelan graduated from La Salle University in 1951 and played one season in the NBA with the Philadelphia Warriors. After a brief professional career, Phelan went to Mount St. Mary’s as an assistant in 1953. One year later he began his historical career as a head coach.
He led the Mountaineers to 16 Division II NCAA tournaments. Five times they advanced to the Final Four and he led them to the DII National Championship in 1962.
When he retired in 2003, after coaching for 49 years, he had amassed 830 wins (overall record of 830-524) in all divisions. In those 49 years, 19 of his teams amassed 20 or more wins in a season.
In 2008 he was inducted into National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Phelan passed away on June 15, 2021 at the age of 92 at his home in Emmitsburg, MD.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
The 2024 award will be announced in Phoenix, AZ, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship. .
2023: Chris Collins, Northwestern
2022: Mark Adams, Texas Tech
2021: Todd Simon, Southern Utah
2020: Steve Pikiell, Rutgers
2019: Ritchie McKay, Liberty
2018: Chris Holtmann, Ohio State
2017: Frank Martin, South Carolina
2016: Greg Gard, Wisconsin
2015: Bob Huggins, West Virginia
2014: Tim Miles, Nebraska
2013: Dana Altman, Oregon
2012: Mike Brey, Notre Dame
2011: Stew Morrill, Utah State
2010: Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh
2009: John Calipari, Memphis
2008: Bo Ryan, Wisconsin
2007: Tony Bennett, Washington State
2006: Ben Howland, UCLA
2005: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
2004: Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph's
2003: Mark Slonaker, Mercer