Congratulations to the following coaches who have been selected as the Week 16 HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions. The 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 2017-18 college basketball season.
Past weekly and yearly winners can be found below this week’s recipients.
Nominations for next week’s award can be emailed to: [email protected].
The Week 16 winners are:
NCAA DI: John Beilein – University of Michigan
Coach Beilein’s 15th ranked Wolverines carved a path of destruction through the Big Ten tournament this week, winning four games in four days to take the conference championship. Michigan first defeated Iowa 77-71 in overtime to advance to the Big Ten quarterfinals, where they took on Nebraska, who had defeated them by 20 in their only prior meeting this year. The Wolverines were able to take a convincing 77-58 victory, setting up a match-up with #2 Michigan State, the top seed in the Big Ten. Trailing at halftime, Michigan rode a huge second half to a 75-64 win. Looking to win their 9th straight, Coach Beilein’s squad took on 3rd seeded (#8 overall) Purdue on Sunday afternoon in the conference championship. They completed their stellar run with a 75-66 defeat of the Boilermakers, taking their second consecutive Big Ten championship. Michigan will now get a well-deserved rest before heading into the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA DII: Patrick Beilein – Le Moyne College (NY)
Coach Patrick Beilein followed in his father’s footsteps this week, as his #22 Le Moyne squad swept through the Northeast-10 tournament to clinch an automatic berth in the NCAA DII championship. Top seeded in the conference’s Southwest division, the Dolphins exploded for a 99-60 victory over Stonehill in the conference quarterfinals, shooting an unbelievable 73.2 percent from the field. Le Moyne followed this up with another huge win in the conference semifinals, defeating Merrimack 83-55. This win set up a meeting with reigning conference champ Saint Anselm in the NE10 championship. The Dolphins came away with a 69-63 victory, taking their first NE10 title since the 1996-97 season and tying the program record for wins in a season with 24. Le Moyne now heads into the national tournament hot, having won 15 of their last 16 games.
NCAA DIII: Chuck McBreen – Ramapo College (NJ)
Ramapo College, led by Coach McBreen, made some noise in the early stages of the NCAA tournament this week, coming away with two big victories. The Roadrunners opened the tournament with an 86-61 blowout win over Moravian College, advancing to the second round to take on #5 overall Williams College. Ramapo was able to hold off a late comeback attempt to take a stunning 66-62 victory and move on to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in program history. The Roadrunners will look to win their 5th straight game and an Elite Eight berth when they take on Franklin & Marshall on Friday.
NAIA: Larry Cordaro – LSU Alexandria
Coach Cordaro of LSU-Alexandria led his program to their third conference championship in their four-year history this week. The 13th ranked Generals began the Red River Athletic Conference tournament with a 91-78 victory over #19 Our Lady of the Lake University, allowing them to advance to the conference championship for the fourth time in the program’s four years of existence. LSUA was able to defeat Langston University 82-75 in a closely contested game to take the conference championship. The 25-7 Generals will learn who they face in the NAIA national tournament on Wednesday when the NAIA Bracket Reveal Show is aired.
JUCO: Terry Maczko – Baltimore City Community College
Coach Maczko’s Panthers won two tough games this week to take the Region XX championship. Baltimore City Community College began the Region XX Tournament with an impressive 84-64 win over Harford Community College to advance to the region championship. The Panthers took on top-ranked Alleghany College of Maryland and were able to overcome an eleven point halftime deficite to walk away with a hard-fought 80-78 victory. BCCC now advances to the NJCAA District 3 Final, which will be played on Saturday.
[Coach of the Week written and compiled by HoopDirt.com contributor AJ Nelson]
2017-18 HoopDirt.com / Just Play Solutions Coach of the Week Winners
NCAA DI: Fran Dunphy – Temple University
NCAA DII: Pryor Orser – Colorado School of Mines
NCAA DIII: Kevin Bettencourt – Endicott College (MA)
NAIA (co-winner): Wayne Wagner – Viterbo University (WI)
NAIA (co-winner): Matt O’Brien – Southwestern College (KS)
JUCO: Mark White – Tallahassee Community College
NCAA DI: Porter Moser – Loyola University Chicago
NCAA DII: Andy Bronkema – Ferris State University (MI)
NCAA DIII: Justin Lunt – University of Puget Sound (WA)
NAIA: Keith Adkins – Life University (GA)
JUCO: Don Tuley – Seminole State College (OK)
NCAA DI: Chris Mack – Xavier University
NCAA DII: Darrell Walker – Clark Atlanta University
NCAA DIII: Pat Juckem – University of Wisconsin-Osh Kosh
NAIA: R-Jay Barsh – Southeastern University (FL)
JUCO: Steve DeMeo – Northwest Florida State College
NCAA DI: James Whitford – Ball State
NCAA DII: Adam Bohac – Southern Nazarene University (OK)
NCAA DIII: Hilliary Scott – Lynchburg College (VA)
NAIA: Vinay Patel – Oklahoma City University
JUCO: Tommy Guerin – Borough of Manhattan Community College
NCAA DI: Steve Pikiell – Rutgers University
NCAA DII: Jeff Burkhamer – University of West Florida
NCAA DIII: Steve Howes – Catholic University (DC)
NAIA: Kyle Blankenship – Louisiana State University – Shreveport
JUCO: Hank Plona – Indian Hills Community College (IA)
NCAA DI: Mike Young – Wofford College
NCAA DII: Bart Lundy – Queens University of Charlotte
NCAA DIII: Mike Schauer – Wheaton College (IL)
NAIA: Kelvin Starr – The Master’s University (CA)
JUCO: Evan Lavery – Rock Valley College (IL)
NCAA DI: LaVall Jordan – Butler University
NCAA DII: Rodney Watson – University of Southern Indiana
NCAA DIII: Eric Bridgeland – Whitman College (WA)
NAIA: Jeff Sherman – Central Methodist University (MO)
JUCO: Brian Peabody – Pima Community College (AZ)
NCAA DI: Tad Boyle – University of Colorado
NCAA DII: Jeff Boschee – Missouri Southern State University
NCAA DIII: Ron Rose – Illinois Wesleyan University
NAIA: Jesse Watkins – College of Coastal Georgia
JUCO: Chris Hackett – Frank Phillips College (TX)
NCAA DI: Joe Mihalich – Hofstra University
NCAA DII: Lennie Acuff – University of Alabama Huntsville
NCAA DIII: Guy Rancourt – Lycoming College (PA)
NAIA: Paul Peck – Lindsey Wilson College (KY)
JUCO: Chris Lovell – Bossier Parrish Community College (LA)
NCAA DI: Mike White – University of Florida
NCAA DII: Bob Pietrack – Fort Lewis College (CO)
NCAA DIII: Jeff Brown – Middlebury College (VT)
NAIA: Nelson Jones – Allen University (SC)
JUCO: Aaron Butcher – Ancilla College (IN)
NCAA DI: Tony Bennett – University of Virginia
NCAA DII: Mike Helfer – Valdosta State (GA)
NCAA DIII: Mark Edwards – Washington University in Saint Louis
NAIA: Dante Calabria – Keiser University (FL)
JUCO: Paul Cisek – Brookdale Community College (NJ)
NCAA DI: Mike Hopkins – University of Washington
NCAA DII: Josh Schertz – Lincoln Memorial University (TN)
NCAA DIII: Todd McGuinness – Case Western Reserve University (OH)
NAIA: Craig Doty – Graceland University (IA)
JUCO: Doug Scott – Quincy College (MA)
NCAA DI: Chris Mullin – St. John’s University
NCAA DII: Lonn Reisman – Tarleton State University (TX)
NCAA DIII: David Hixon – Amherst College (MA)
NAIA: Tom Church – Indiana University Kokomo
JUCO: DaJuan Gouard – Danville Area Community College (IL)
NCAA DI: Donte’ Jackson – Grambling State University
NCAA DII: Grady Brewer – Morehouse College (GA)
NCAA DIII: John Krikorian – Christopher Newport University (VA)
NAIA: Josh Gamblin – Mid-America Christian University (OK)
JUCO: Jared Phay – College of Southern Idaho
NCAA DI: Ryan Ridder -Bethune-Cookman University
NCAA DII: Lonnie Blow, Jr. – Virginia State University
NCAA DIII: Josh Loeffler – Johns Hopkins University
NAIA: Kelly Wells – University of Pikeville (KY)
JUCO: Brent Wilson – Sullivan County CC (NY)
Previous HoopDirt.com Coach of the Year Award Winners:
Division I
2016-17: Chris Collins – Northwestern University
2015-16: Roy Williams – University of North Carolina
Division II
2016-17: Ben McCollum – Northwest Missouri State
2015-16: Josh Schertz – Lincoln Memorial University (TN)
Division III
2016-17: Stephen Brennan – Babson College (MA)
2015-16: John Tauer – University of St. Thomas (MN)
NAIA
2016-17: Kevin Burton – Union College (KY)
2015-16: Larry Cordaro – LSU-Alexandria
JUCO
2016-17: Todd Lorensen – Southwestern Community College (IA)
2015-16: Craig Doty – Rock Valley College (IL)
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About Just Play Solutions
Just Play Solutions is quickly becoming a market leader in helping coaches to prepare faster and teach athletes more effectively. From our digital coaching tools to interactive mobile app coaches can build playbooks, scouting reports, integrate video and even quiz players. Working with over 325 programs from high school to the professional levels, Just Play has a solution for any budget or need. Just Play currently has products available for Basketball, Football, Soccer, Hockey and Lacrosse.
