University of Michigan men’s basketball head coach John Beilein was named as the recipient of the NCAA’s Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award for the 2013-14 season.
The Frederick Award, first presented in 2009 to honor the late Kansas and Illinois State athletics director, is awarded annually to an NCAA member institution coach or administrator who exhibits a lifelong commitment to sportsmanship and ethical conduct, leading by example and promoting positive fan involvement in and out of competition.
"I am certain there were many other coaches who deserved this award, however, I am truly honored to have been chosen for the Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award," said Beilein. "I want to thank Fred Smith and the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct for selecting me. I will continue to do all I can to live up to the high standards of sportsmanship and integrity that Bob Frederick represented so well during his time in college athletics."
"John is a wonderful choice for the NCAA’s Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award," said Dave Brandon, U-M’s Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "He represents the University of Michigan and the college coaching fraternity with great honor, and meets all of the established qualifications for this prestigious award.
"John is a leader who has great respect for the game of basketball and takes great pride in doing things by the rules and keeping his student-athletes’ welfare first and foremost," added Brandon. "He sets high ethical standards for those associated with his program and has high expectations for how they conduct themselves both on and off the court. John is a class act in every aspect of his life and we are proud of his leadership of our men’s basketball program. This a well-deserved recognition for John’s 36 years of coaching young people and being a terrific role model and teacher."
Michigan finished the 2013-14 season with a 28-9 overall record, won its first outright Big Ten regular-season title in 28 years, earned its first No. 1 seed at the Big Ten Tournament and advance to the title game for the first time since 1998 as well as made a second straight trip to the NCAA’s Elite Eight. Beilein was named the Big Ten’s Coach of the Year by the media and becomes just the third U-M coach honored, joining the late Johnny Orr (1974, ’77) and Bill Frieder (1985) as the only others selected.
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