For Immediate Release
April 29, 2019
Penn State Wilkes-Barre Head Basketball Coach LeShawn Hammett has been named as the HoopDirt.com USCAA Coach of the Year presented by Just Play Solutions for the 2018-19 college basketball season. Hammett qualified for the award by being named as the HoopDirt.com/Just Play Solutions Coach of the Week for Week 9 of the season.
Hammett led his team to a 25-5 record, and captured the USCAA DII National Championship. Penn State Wilkes Barre went a perfect 12-0 at home on the season, and 18-1 in the conference. The 25 wins were also the most in team history.
After losing the PSUAC championship game by one in overtime, Hammett’s team got hot, and rolled through the national tournament. They defeated Johnson and Wales (NC) 86-64 to claim the USCAA DII National Championship. This was the first national title for PSU-Wilkes Barre, and it marked the first time a school from the PSUAC has caprured the crown.
In his four seasons at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Hammett has compiled a 70-41 (49-18 PSUAC) record. His team has also made four straight post season appearences. and put together an impressive 37-10 home mark during Hammett’s tenure.
Hammett becomes the first-ever winner of the USCAA HoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year presented by Just Play Soultions. For the past four seasons, HoopDirt.com has given the award to coaches at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, and JUCO levels. This is the first season that the emerging USCAA has been included in the program, and they will continue to be moving forward.
Previous Coach of the Year recipients can be found below, as well as all of this season’s Coach of the Week winners.
Previous HoopDirt.com Coach of the Year Award Winners:
Division I
2017-18: Porter Moser – Loyola University Chicago
2016-17: Chris Collins – Northwestern University
2015-16: Roy Williams – University of North Carolina
Division II
2017-18: Andy Bronkema – Ferris State (MI)
2016-17: Ben McCollum – Northwest Missouri State
2015-16: Josh Schertz – Lincoln Memorial University (TN)
Division III
2017-18: Eric Bridgeland – Whitman College (WA)
2016-17: Stephen Brennan – Babson College (MA)
2015-16: John Tauer – University of St. Thomas (MN)
NAIA
2017-18: Craig Doty – Graceland University (IA)
2016-17: Kevin Burton – Union College (KY)
2015-16: Larry Cordaro – LSU-Alexandria
JUCO
2017-18: Paul Cisek – Brookdale Community College (NJ)
2016-17: Todd Lorensen – Southwestern Community College (IA)
2015-16: Craig Doty – Rock Valley College (IL)
USCAA
2018-19: LeShawn Hammett – Penn State Wilkes-Barre
2018-19 HoopDirt.com / Just Play Solutions Coach of the Week Winners
NCAA DI: Bob Richey – Furman University
NCAA DII: Ben McCollum – Northwest Missouri State University
NCAA DIII: Dale Wellman – Nebraska Wesleyan University
NAIA: Aaron Coombs – Oklahoma Pan Handle State University
JUCO: Anthony Figueroa – Parkland College (IL)
NCAA DI: Greg McDermott – Creighton University
NCAA DII: Stan Gouard – University of Indianapolis
NCAA DIII: Quintin Grogan – Johnson & Wales University Denver
NAIA: Mike Newell – Dillard University (LA)
JUCO: Craig Fletchall – Barton Community (KS)
NCAA DI: Eric Musselman – University of Nevada
NCAA DII: Jeff Price – Lynn University (FL)
NCAA DIII: Jimmy Smith – Millsaps College (MS)
NAIA: Rocky Lamar – MidAmerica Nazarene University (KS)
JUCO: Nkrumah Jones – Bunker Hill Community College (MA)
NCAA DI: Frank Haith – University of Tulsa
NCAA DII: Billy Taylor – Belmont Abbey College (NC)
NCAA DIII: Andrew Weber – Rockford University (IL)
NAIA: Mike McBride – Holy Cross College (IN)
JUCO: Mark White – Tallahassee Community College (FL)
NCAA DI: Rick Barnes – University of Tennessee
NCAA DII: Scott Burrell – Southern Connecticut State University
NCAA DIII: Larry Anderson – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
NAIA: Stan Holt – Langston University (OK)
JUCO: Hank Plona – Indian Hills Community College (IA)
USCAA: Patrick Crarey, II -Washington Adventist University (MD)
NCAA DI: Kelvin Sampson – University of Houston
NCAA DII: Eric Bovaird – Chaminade University (HI)
NCAA DIII: Carl Danzig – University of Scranton (PA)
NAIA: Jared Ronai – Mount Vernon Nazarene University (OH)
JUCO: William West – Prince George’s Community College (MD)
NCAA DI: Johnny Jones -Texas Southern University
NCAA DII: Jim Crutchfield – Nova Southeastern University (FL)
NCAA DIII: Tom Spanbauer – SUNY Cortland
NAIA: Jayson Artaz – Bethel College (KS)
JUCO: Jeff Brustad – Monroe College (NY)
NCAA DI: Chris Mullin – St. John’s University
NCAA DII: Scott Davenport – Bellarmine University (KY)
NCAA DIII: Matt Siverling – Wisconsin-Eau Claire
NAIA: R-Jay Barsh – Southeastern University (FL)
JUCO: Mark Bunker – Scottsdale CC (AZ)
USCAA: Don Silveri – Villa Maria College (NY)
NCAA DI: Kermit Davis – Ole Miss
NCAA DII: Bart Lundy – Queens University of Charlotte
NCAA DIII: Greg Dunne – SUNY Brockport
NAIA: Ty Harrelson – Wayland Baptist University (TX)
JUCO: Mike Burris – Olney Central College (IL)
USCAA: LeShawn Hammett – Penn State Wilkes-Barre
NCAA DI: Nate Oats – University of Buffalo
NCAA DII: Tobin Anderson – St. Thomas Aquinas College (NY)
NCAA DIII: Jeff Brown – Middlebury College (VT)
NAIA (Co-Winner): Donnie Butcher – University of the Cumberlands (KY)
NAIA (Co-Winner): Kevin Easley – Life University (GA)
JUCO: Chris Oney – Pearl River CC (MS)
NCAA DI: Steve Henson – University of Texas at San Antonio
NCAA DII: Mark Dowey – Northeastern State University (OK)
NCAA DIII: Damien Strahorn – Colby College (ME)
NAIA: Denis Shaefer – Grand View University (IA)
JUCO: Corey McKendry – Schoolcraft College (MI)
USCAA: Jonathan Pena – Berkeley College (NY)
NCAA DI: Mark Few – Gonzaga University
NCAA DII: Andre Cook – St. Edwards University (TX)
NCAA DIII: George Barber – Greenville University (IL)
NAIA: Eric Echelbarger – Indiana University Kokomo
JUCO:Billy Gillispie – Ranger College (TX)
NCAA DI: James Jones – Yale University
NCAA DII: Mike McDonald – Daemen College (NY)
NCAA DIII: Matt Logie -Whitworth University (WA)
NAIA: John Teasley -Stillman College (AL)
JUCO: Steve DeMeo – Northwest Florida State College
USCAA: Paul Hogan – NHTI, Concord’s Community College (NH)
NCAA DI: Mike Krzyzewski – Duke University
NCAA DII: Bryan Rooney – Cal State East Bay
NCAA DIII: Shawn Cassidy – Concordia University Wisconsin
NAIA: Danny Neville – University of Jamestown (ND)
JUCO: Lance Madison – Lamar State College-Port Arthur (TX)
NCAA DI: Wes Miller – UNC Greensboro
NCAA DII: Gerald Holmes – Bloomfield College (NJ)
NCAA DIII: Todd Peretz – Mitchell College (CT)
NAIA: Chris Briggs – Georgetown College (KY)
JUCO: Eric Murphy – Florida Southwestern University
USCAA: Anderson Bynum – Clinton College (SC)
NCAA DI: Johnny Dawkins – University of Central Florida
NCAA DII: Fred Watson – Miles College (AL)
NCAA DIII: Jean Bain – Brandeis University (MA)
NAIA: Vinay Patel – Oklahoma City University
JUCO: Brent Wilson – SUNY Sullivan (NY)
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