THE JIM PHELAN AWARD

2016 Jim Phelan Award

West Virginia's Bob Huggins accepts the 2015 Jim Phelan award at the CollegeInsider.com Award's Banquet on April 3 in Indianapolis.

April 4, 2016

2016 JIM PHELAN AWARD

HOUSTON, TX -- Wisconsin's Greg Gard is the recipient of the 2016 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award.

Gard took over in mid-December, after Bo Ryan unexpectedly resigned. The Badgers were 9-9 and 1-4 in the Big Ten. After Gard took over the Badgers posted a 13-4 record, which earned them their 18th-consecutive trip to the Big Dance, the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history. Wisconsin finished the season 22-13 and a trip to the Sweet 16.

The Phelan award is presented annually to the top coach in division I men's basketball. Phelan led the Mountaineers to the 1962 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship. 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.

2016 JIM PHELAN AWARD FINALISTS

Dana Altman, Oregon
Chris Beard, Little Rock
Tony Bennett, Virginia
Tom Crean, Indiana
Steve Fisher, San Diego State
Eran Ganot, Hawaii
Greg Gard, Wisconsin
Bob Huggins, West Virginia
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
James Jones, Yale
Billy Kennedy, Texas A&M
Jim Larranaga, Miami
Chris Mack, Xavier
Frank Martin, South Carolina
Archie Miller, Dayton
King Rice, Monmouth
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Bill Self, Kansas
Brad Underwood, Stephen F. Austin
Roy Williams, North Carolina
Jay Wright, Villanova

 
 

The Jim Phelan Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top Division I coach, is named in honor of a legendary bow-tied coach who spent his entire career at Mount Saint Mary’s University.
 
He led the Mountaineers to the 1962 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship. 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.
 
The recipient of the 2023-24 award will be announced in April, in Phoenix, AZ site of the men's NCAA 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

The Jim Phelan award is presented annually to the top division I head coach as voted on by the award committee. All division I head coaches are eligible for the award. 
 
The 10-member voting committee consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
 
The award is presented annually at the site of the men's Division I NCAA basketball championship. 

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