The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced today the 2015 NABC UPS coaches of the year in the NCAA and NAIA.
In the NCAA, the UPS coaches of the year are Kentucky’s John Calipari in Division I; Linc Darner of Florida Southern in Division II; and Bob Semling of the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in Division III.
In the NAIA, Keith Adkins of Campbellsville (Ky.) University is the UPS Division I coach of the year and Cornerstone University’s Kim Elders is the UPS Division II coach of the year.
2015 NABC UPS COACHES OF THE YEAR
NCAA DIVISION I
John Calipari, Kentucky
Whether winning games by large margins or securing a win in the last minute, John Calipari’s Wildcats enter the 2015 NCAA Final Four with a perfect 38-0 record. One of only two coaches to take three different programs – UMass, Memphis and Kentucky – to the Final Four a total of six times, his 2012 UK team won the NCAA title. This season, Calipari has positioned his Wildcats with an opportunity to match the last unbeaten NCAA champion, the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers. In his 23 seasons as a head coach, Calipari’s teams have won 77 percent of their games with a 593-175 record.
NCAA DIVISION II
Linc Darner, Florida Southern
In his ninth season at Florida Southern, Linc Darner has led the Mocs to eight straight NCAA Division II championship tournament appearances. This season, with a remarkable 36-1 record, Florida Southern defeated IUP, 77-62, to win the NCAA Division II championship on March 28 in Evansville, Ind. Darner’s teams have won four straight Sunshine State Conference Tournament titles and three straight SSC regular season titles, bringing his coaching record at the school to 218 wins and 72 losses.
NCAA DIVISION III
Bob Semling, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
For the second time in six seasons, Bob Semling guided his University of Wisconsin Stevens Point team to the NCAA Division III national championship. The Pointers topped Augustana (Ill.), 70-54, in the Division III championship game on March 21 in Salem, Va. Semling, who also coached his team to the NCAA title in 2010, guided the Pointers to a 27-5 record this season, including a 15-1 mark in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, earned us a share of the league title, the program’s 29th conference title. In 10 seasons, Semling’s teams have a record of 242 wins and 54 losses for a winning percentage of 81.7, the highest percentage for any active coach in NCAA Division III.
NAIA DIVISION I
Keith Adkins, Campbellsville (Ky.) University
Having just completed his 15th season at Campbellsville, Keith Adkins has brought the program to its highest level with a 29-6 record this season, the best mark in program history. The Tigers have had nine seasons winning at least 20 games under Adkins, including eight in the last 10 seasons. Campbellsville shared the Mid-South Conference title this season and reached the round of 16 in the NAIA Division I national championship tournament in Kansas City.
NAIA DIVISION II
Kim Elders, Cornerstone University (Mich.)
Cornerstone topped Dakota Wesleyan, 66-45, on March 17 in the championship game of the NAIA Division II national tournament, giving coach Kim Elders a third national championship, having won previously in 1999 and 2011. Elders has led the Golden Eagles for 22 seasons and ranks among the top 10 active coaches in NAIA Division II with 561 wins and a winning percentage of 72.1. He is a six-time coach of the year in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference.
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