Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)
Congratulations to the following coaches who have been selected as the Week 1 HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions. These coaches are now eligible to receive the HoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award presented by Just Play Solutions which will be announced at the conclusion of the 2023-24 college basketball season.
This is the ninth season that HoopDirt.com has run the Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year programs. The list of 2023-24 Coach of the Week winners, as well as the list of all-time COY winners can be found following this week’s honorees.
NCAA D1: Mark Byington – James Madison University
| Weekly Record (Overall): 3-0 (3-0) |
| Past week’s results: 79-76 (OT) W at #4 Michigan State, 113-108 (2OT) W at Kent State, 107-86 W vs Howard. |
| Highlights: Stunned #4 MSU on the road Monday to start the season. The win was JMU’s highest-ranked victory ever and just the second top-25 win for the Dukes. JMU also became the first team to hand an AP preseason top-five team a loss in a home season opener since 2001. On Thursday, Byington’s crew snapped Kent State’s 23-game home win streak. Closed out the week on Sunday by putting up 107 vs Howard (59 in the first half). The Dukes’ three wins this season are all vs teams that all competed in the 2023 NCAA tournament. |
NCAA D2: Alfred Jordan – Clark Atlanta University
| Weekly Record (Overall): 3-0 (2-0) |
| Past week’s results: 71-64 W at Mercer (technically an EXH game for CAU, but it counted for Mercer), 74-57 W vs W. Florida, 77-64 W vs Valdosta State |
| Highlights: Went on the road and knocked off SoCon’s Mercer on Monday. Held Mercer to 37% shooting and out rebounded them by 5. Doesn’t count in CAU’s record, but we’re counting it as a W this week since it counts for Mercer. Jordan then led his team to two wins in the Tony Brown CAU Classic, and are 2-0 for the first time since 2017. |
NCAA D3: Caleb Kimbrough – Hampden-Sydney College
| Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (2-0) |
| Past week’s results: 74-53 W vs #1 Christopher Newport, 74-48 W vs Greensboro. |
| Highlights: Kimbrough’s #8 Tigers opened the season with 74-53 home win over defending NCAA Division III National Champion and preseason #1 Christopher Newport. H-SC led 31-22 at halftime, and by as many as 24 points in the second half, for arguably one of the biggest wins in program history. H-SC followed with a 74-48 home win past Greensboro (NC), leading 39-22 at the intermission en route to the triumph. |
NAIA: Darnell Archey – University of Mobile
| Weekly record (overall): 2-0 (4-1) |
| Past week’s results: 83-74 W at South Alabama (technically an EXH game for UM, but it counted for USA), 79-76 (OT) W vs Spring Hill. |
| Highlights: Beat Sun Belt member, and cross-town foe South Alabama on the road 83-74. Archey’s squad led 47-23 at the half, and by as many as 27 in the game. Similar to CAU (see above), the game counted to S. Alabama, but was a EXH for Mobile (we count that as a win for the week though). Mobile (ranked NAIA #16) then hosted another local NCAA team, as they took down D2 Spring Hill 79-76 in OT. |
JUCO: Kris Baumann – Odessa College
| Weekly record (overall): 3-0 (7-0) |
| Past week’s results: 77-64 W vs Seminole State (OK), 94-66 W vs Lamar State Port Arthur, 80-69 W vs Panola. |
| Highlights: Baumann’s Wranglers are stacking wins early – three more last week increase their record to 7-0. NJCAA D1 #3 ranked Odessa overcame a 9-point halftime deficit on Monday thanks to a 49-25 second half to take down Seminole State. They then won both of their games in the Collin County Classic over the weekend. 6 out of 7 of OC’s wins have come at neutral sites. |
2023-24 HoopDirt.com / Just Play Solutions Coach of the Week Winners
Week 1
NCAA DI: Mark Byington – James Madison University
NCAA DII: Alfred Jordan – Clark Atlanta University
NCAA DIII: Caleb Kimbrough – Hampden-Sydney College
NAIA: Darnell Archey – University of Mobile
JUCO: Kris Baumann – Odessa College
Previous HoopDirt.com Coach of the Year Award Winners:
Division I
- 2022-23: Jerome Tang – Kansas State University
- 2021-22: Ed Cooley – Providence Colleg
- 2020-21: Dennis Gates – Cleveland State University
- 2019-20: Joe Gallo – Merrimack College
- 2018-19: Kelvin Sampson – University of Houston
- 2017-18: Porter Moser – Loyola University Chicago
- 2016-17: Chris Collins – Northwestern University
- 2015-16: Roy Williams – University of North Carolina
Division II
- 2022-23: Jim Crutchfield – Nova Southeastern
- 2021-22: Jim Crutchfield – Nova Southeastern
- 2020-21: Ben McCollum – Northwest Missouri State
- 2019-20: Fred Watson – Miles College
- 2018-19: Ben McCollum – Northwest Missouri State
- 2017-18: Andy Bronkema – Ferris State
- 2016-17: Ben McCollum – Northwest Missouri State
- 2015-16: Josh Schertz – Lincoln Memorial University
Division III
- 2022-23: John Krikorian – Christopher Newport University
- 2021-22: Brian Baptiste – UMass Dartmouth
- 2020-21: Brooks Miller – Trine University
- 2019-20: Elliot Steinmetz – Yeshiva University
- 2018-19: Dale Wellman – Nebraska Wesleyan University
- 2017-18: Eric Bridgeland – Whitman College
- 2016-17: Stephen Brennan – Babson College
- 2015-16: John Tauer – University of St. Thomas
NAIA
- 2022-23: Chris Wright – Langston University
- 2021-22: Stacy Hollowell – Loyola University New Orleans
- 2020-21: Delano Thomas – Shawnee State University
- 2019-20: Colby Blaine – College of Idaho
- 2018-19: Chris Briggs – Georgetown College
- 2017-18: Craig Doty – Graceland University
- 2016-17: Kevin Burton – Union College
- 2015-16: Larry Cordaro – LSU-Alexandria
JUCO
- 2022-23: Rick Cabrera – Tallahassee Community College
- 2021-22: Greg Heiar – Northwest Florida State
- 2020-21: COVID Season – No winner selected
- 2019-20: Randy Casey – Milwaukee Area Technical College
- 2018-19: Billy Gillispie – Ranger College
- 2017-18: Paul Cisek – Brookdale Community College
- 2016-17: Todd Lorensen – Southwestern Community College
- 2015-16: Craig Doty – Rock Valley College
USCAA
- 2018-19: LeShawn Hammett – Penn State Wilkes-Barre
