lonestar Posted March 16, 2007 Report Posted March 16, 2007 ATLANTA (March 16, 2007) – Four of the nation’s best men’s college basketball coaches were named as finalists for the Naismith Award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Tony Bennett (Washington State), Billy Gillispie (Texas A&M), Bo Ryan (Wisconsin) and John Thompson III (Georgetown) will make up the final ballot. The Naismith Award is the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men’s and women’s college basketball coaches of the year.Finalists were chosen through a vote by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, who narrowed the mid-season list of 25 candidates down to the final four. The Board, which is comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, based its criteria on coaching performances this season. The Men’s College Coach of the Year Award winner will be named at the Naismith Awards banquet April 5 in Atlanta.“It’s exciting to see new coaches come along and achieve high levels of success at these programs,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “This display of coaching and leadership spells tremendous success for these teams.”Tony Bennett: Has led the Cougars to 25 regular-season wins, tied for second most in school history and one shy of the WSU record set in 1940-41, in his first season as head coach. He became just the third man in Washington State history to be named Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year. The Green Bay, Wis., native is in his fourth season with the Cougars having come to the Palouse as an assistant coach for his father Dick prior to the 2003-04 season. In his first year as head coach, he is leading the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament in 13 years. Bennett looks to become only the third coach from a Pac-10 school to claim the Naismith award (Jim Harrick, UCLA, 1995; Mike Montgomery, Stanford, 2000). Billy Gillispie: Was named 2007 Big 12 Coach of the Year (Big 12 coaches’ poll) in leading the Aggies to 25 wins – the most regular-season victories in school history. Under Gillispie, Texas A&M has been ranked in the top 13 all season and in the top 10 most of the season, climbing as high as No. 6 (four times), the highest ranking in school history. The Aggies are making NCAA appearances for the first time in school history and have had three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in history after going 7-21(0-16 in Big 12), the year before Gillispie arrived. Bo Ryan: Led the Badgers to 29 overall and 13 conference wins this season, both school records. The Badgers earned the first No. 1 ranking in school history and their No. 2 seed in NCAA tournament is highest in school history. In six seasons Ryan has amassed a 68-28 (.708) record in Big Ten games, the best winning percentage of any coach in league history with at least five years experience. He has the second-highest career winning percentage of any active Division I coach with at least 500 career wins (524-157, .769), winning his 500th career game vs. Auburn on Nov. 25. John Thompson III: In just three seasons at the helm, Thompson has taken the Hoyas from a sub .500 record (13-15 in 2004-05) to the quarterfinals of the NIT (19-13 in 2005-06) to a number-two seed in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. In going 26-6 (13-3 Big East), the Hoyas claimed their seventh conference championship – first since 1989 – and went 6-2 against teams ranked in the top 25 in the latest AP poll. Prior to coaching at Georgetown, Thompson guided Princeton to three Ivy League Championships, two NCAA tournaments and an NIT appearance while going 68-42 over his four years as head coach.
Guest WBFan09 Posted March 16, 2007 Report Posted March 16, 2007 he has definitley proved that he is one of the greatest in the country...couldnt think of anyone better in a high-major school
Recommended Posts