Will UNCW’s Kevin Keatts be named national coach of the year?

WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) – Kevin Keatts of UNCW has been named a finalist for the 2016 Hugh Durham Award presented by CollegeInsider.com to the top mid-major coach in NCAA Division I basketball.

Keatts was one of 21 finalists announced on Wednesday for the award, which will be presented on Monday (April 4) in Houston, site of this year’s NCAA Final Four.

The successful Keatts piloted the Seahawks to the regular season and tournament championships in the Colonial Athletic Association this past season. UNCW finished with a 25-8 record – tying the school mark for victories – and Keatts was named CAA Coach-of-the-Year for the second consecutive season.

The award is named in honor of former Florida State and Georgia head coach Hugh Durham, who retired at the end of the 2004-05 season. Durham is one of just 12 coaches to lead two different programs to the NCAA Final Four (Florida State in 1972 and Georgia in 1983) – the lone Final Four appearance for both institutions.

In addition to Keatts, other finalists for the 2016 Hugh Durham Award include: Chris Beard, Little Rock; Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s; Ken Burmeister, Incarnate Word; Jon Coffman, IFPW; Bryce Drew, Valparaiso; Bill Evans, Idaho State; Dana Ford, Tennessee State; Eran Ganot, Hawaii; Murray Garvin, South Carolina State; Mitch Henderson, Princeton; James Jones, Yale; Dan Majerle, Grand Canyon; Matt McCall, Chattanooga; Nick McDevitt, UNC Asheville; Marvin Menzies, New Mexico State; Joe Mihalich, Hofstra; Steve Piekel, Stony Brook; King Rice, Monmouth; Marty Simmons, Evansville; Brad Underwood, Stephen F. Austin

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WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) — For the second straight year, UNCW men’s basketball coach Kevin Keatts has been named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award presented by CollegeInsider.com to the nation’s top minority coach in the NCAA Division I ranks.

Keatts was one of 21 finalists announced for the award, which will be presented on Monday (April 4) in Houston, site of this year’s Final Four.

An icon in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Jobe made his mark as head coach at Southern University, a position he held for 12 seasons. Jobe’s record at Southern was 209-141 and featured four NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached the Jaguars to one NIT appearance, five SIAC championships, 11 SWAC titles and two NAIA Tournament championships.

Keatts piloted the Seahawks to the regular season and tournament championships in the Colonial Athletic Association this past season. UNCW finished with a 25-8 record – tying the school mark for victories – and Keatts was named CAA Coach-of-the-Year for the second consecutive season.

In addition to Keatts, other finalists for the 2016 honor include: Roman Banks, Southern; Rod Barnes, CSU Bakersfield; Wayne Brent, Jackson State; Ed Cooley, Providence; Mike Davis, Texas Southern; Dana Ford, Tennessee State; Murray Garvin, South Carolina State; Avery Johnson, Alabama; James Jones, Yale; Robert Jones, Norfolk State; Edward Joyner, Jr. Hampton; Bashir Mason, Wagner; Mark Montgomery, Northern Illinois; King Rice, Monmouth; Montez Robinson, Alcorn State; Kelvin Sampson, Houston; Shaka Smart, Texas; Tubby Smith, Texas Tech; Rodney Terry, Fresno State; Willis Wilson, Texas A&M Corpus Christi