THE JIM PHELAN AWARD

2019 Jim Phelan Award

April 5, 2019

THE 2019 AWARD

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Liberty’s Ritchie McKay is the 2018-19 recipient of the Jim Phelan Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top Division I coach.

In the fourth season of his second stint at Liberty, the former Tony Bennett assistant guided the Flames to a school-record 29 victories and an NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time since 2013. Liberty claimed the Atlantic Sun tournament championship, winning at Lipscomb in the finals after sharing the regular season crown in its first year in the conference.

The Flames, a 12 seed, stunned Mississippi State 80-76 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They lost to Virginia Tech 67-58 in the second round.   

McKay, 53, has a 265-212 overall record and has led Liberty to three consecutive 20-win seasons.

The award is named in honor of the legendary bow-tied coach who spent his entire career at Mount Saint Mary’s University, leading 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 2019 JIM PHELAN AWARD FINALISTS
 
Rick Barnes, Tennessee
Chris Beard, Texas Tech
John Beilein, Michigan
Tony Bennett, Virginia
John Calipari, Kentucky
Kermit Davis, Ole Miss
Darian DeVries, Drake
Mark Few, Gonzaga
Jason Hooten, Sam Houston State
Justin Hutson, Fresno State
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Dustin Kerns, Presbyterian
Chris Mack, Louisville
Ritchie McKay, Liberty
Eric Musselman, Nevada
Nate Oats, Buffalo
Matt Painter, Purdue
Mike Rhoades, VCU
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M 
Craig Smith, Utah State
Bruce Weber, Kansas State
Roy Williams, North Carolina
Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette
Mike Young, Wofford
 

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 Jim Phelan award voting panel is made up of current division I coaches, athletic administrators, and senior College Insider staff members.  The recipient of the 2024-25 award will be announced in April, in San Antonio, TX site of the men's Division I 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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