By AJ Nelson, HoopDirt.com staff writer
Congratulations to the following coaches who have been selected as the Week 3 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 2021-22 college basketball season.
This is the seventh season that HoopDirt.com has run the Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year programs. The list 2021-22 Coach of the Week winners, as well as the list of all-time COY winners can be found following this week’s honorees.
To nominate coaches for future weeks, please email [email protected] with your selection(s).
The Week 3 winners are:
NCAA DI: T.J. Otzelberger – Iowa State University
With a pair of wins over ranked opponents this week, Coach Otzelberger’s Cyclones have vaulted into the Top-25. Iowa State took care of No. 25 Xavier in the opening game of the Upsie NIT Season Tip-Off on Wednesday, outscoring the Musketeers 44-31 in the second half on the way to an 82-70 victory. This marked the Cyclones’ first win over a ranked opponent since December 8, 2019. They would not have to wait nearly that long for their next defeat of a top-25 foe, leading by as many as 25 in a 78-59 blowout over No. 9 Memphis on Friday. Iowa State’s 6-0 start has them ranked 19th in the latest AP Top-25 Poll. The Cyclones will look to remain perfect when they host Arkansas- Pine Bluff on Wednesday.
NCAA DII: Todd Duncan – Lubbock Christian University
Coach Duncan led No. 1 Lubbock Christian to three more victories this week, as the Chaps remained unbeaten on the season. LCU traveled to Hawaii for Thanksgiving Break, taking down 18th-ranked Hawaii Hilo by a score of 72-66 in their first game at the Malika Sports Thanksgiving Classic on Wednesday. The triumph marked Lubbock Christian’s third win over a ranked opponent already this season. The Chaps were back in action on Thanksgiving, shooting 61.2% from the field in a 74-66 defeat of Hawaii Pacific. LCU closed out its Hawaii trip with a 52-38 victory over Chaminade, holding the hosts to a 1-24 (4.2%) performance from three. Now 7-0 on the year, Lubbock Christian’s next contest comes at home against Oklahoma City on December 6th.
NCAA DIII: Jeff Brown – Middlebury College
Coach Brown picked up his 400th career victory with Middlebury this week, as his Panthers improved to 4-2 on the season. Middlebury opened the week with a 79-54 triumph over Northern Vermont – Johnson, holding the visitors to just 28.8% from the field. The Panthers’ next win, coming against Endicott on Sunday, marked Coach Brown’s 400th in his 24th season with the program. His career total stands at 430 wins, and his record with the Panthers is now an impressive 400-212. His squad closes out their three-game homestand with a matchup against SUNY Canton later this evening.
NAIA: Tigh Compton – University of Pikeville
This week, Coach Compton’s squad grabbed two more impressive victories, remaining perfect on the season. The Bears first contest of the week came on the road against NCAA DII Emory & Henry on Tuesday. UPIKE trailed through most of the first 30 minutes, before pulling away late to take an 83-71 triumph. Returning home to take on Ohio Valley on Saturday, the Bears dominated wire-to-wire in an 87-58 victory. UPIKE is now 7-0 (2-0 MSC) on the season, and will look to continue its hot start in a conference match-up at Life (GA) on Thursday.
JUCO: Hank Plona – Indian Hills Community College
Coach Plona guided Indian Hills to three huge victories this week, including one over the 2nd-ranked team in the nation. The Warriors, who began the week ranked No. 11, headed to the Lake Land Classic, where they were matched up with unbeaten 2nd-ranked John A. Logan on Tuesday. Indian Hills trailed by as many as 12 in the second half, but used a 19-0 run to get back into the game and eventually secure a thrilling 76-74 triumph. Back in action the following day, the Warriors held Vincennes to just 25.9% from the field on the way to a 68-40 victory. A 68-54 win at Sauk Valley on Saturday closed out the week and improved the Warriors to 8-2 on the year. The 3-0 week moved Indian Hills up to the No. 7 spot in the latest NJCAA DI Top-25 Poll. They will attempt to continue their stellar play when they host Highland on Saturday.
2021-22 HoopDirt.com / Just Play Solutions Coach of the Week Winners
NCAA DI: Gerald Gillion – Chicago State University
NCAA DII: Jeff Brookman – Anderson University
NCAA DIII: Rich Sutter – Westfield State University
NAIA: Kurt Paulson – Carroll College
JUCO: Jeremy Shulman – Eastern Florida State College
NCAA DI: Lamont Paris – Chattanooga
NCAA DII: Bart Lundy – Queens University of Charlotte
NCAA DIII: Chris Carideo – Widener University
NAIA: Chris Wright – Talladega College
JUCO: Allen Sharpe – Wallace State CC
Previous HoopDirt.com Coach of the Year Award Winners:
Division I
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 2020-21: No winner named – COVID season
- 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
About HoopDirt.com
HoopDirt.com is the largest website in the country dedicated specifically to college basketball coaching news, jobs, and rumors at all levels. HoopDirt.com brings a unique insider perspective to the world of college basketball coaching – it was founded by college coaches as a way to help the college basketball community stay informed of what is going on in the coaching profession. HoopDirt.com currently has a Twitter following of over 49,000, and receives nearly three-million page views per month.
About Just Play Solutions
Just Play Solutions has become the market leader in coaches’ workflow. A platform to help coaches prepare playbooks, automate scouting reports, research analytics, integrate and distribute video, manage recruiting workflow, and organize recruiting schedules. The end-to-end platform is used by over 700 customers across the country and internationally in football, basketball, and lacrosse.
