SIAP: Juwan named semifinalist for Naismith Coach of the Year
...as expected. Still though, great to see JH on these kinds of short lists.
https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2021-03-05/atlanta-tipoff-club-announces-mens-basketball-naismith-coach-year-semifinalistsThis award is game over.
Well deserved. Not sure who would beat him out. Maybe Mark Few?
There's definitely only a Few that could.
Screw Mark Few! I could coach Gonzaga to wins over powerhouses in their conference such as San Francisco and Pacific.
Believe we were ranked #25 in first AP poll this year, behind SIX other BIG teams.
Not even close - Juwan should win this hands down! What an incredible job following Coach B. Great coach, fun and terrific team!
Go Blue!!!
I feel like his biggest competition would be the Alabama coach - seems like these awards favor folks that over perform expectations.
Cheers.
As a nearly 40 year old heterosexual male, it’s time I come clean: Juwan gives me warm fuzzies...i have a righteous man crush on him
I mean, who else is even in the running? Baylor's coach?
I feel like Illinois’ coach should be in the running. Not too many guys can coach at that level and land big roles in movies like the Departed and Gangs of New York. Truly, a multi-talented individual
He is the front runner for windbag of the year.
Such silliness. They need to simply forgo the formalities here.
I can't believe they left Izzo off the list. After all his team scored points against Michigan and his starting PG is out for the season due to injury. Such disrespekt.
They lost to Michigan because they were tired. Don't forget that.
/s
Realistically it has to be between Juwan and Nate Oats at Alabama. Oats is also in his second year and has Alabama (who can remember them ever being good at basketball?!) at #8 in the country. Bama was unranked at the start of the year and picked to finish in the middle of the SEC but instead has dominated the conference and won the SEC for the first time in 19 years. Both coaches have a very similar story to be honest. Michigan is certainly the higher ranked team and plays in a much tougher conference, but Juwan inherited a well-oiled machine while Alabama has been irrelevant for decades. Of course I think Juwan should win, but Oats has a very compelling case also. Of course, after last night's love affair, we all know who Dickie V thinks should win...
Michigan was expected to be better, but still, Michigan was also unranked and picked to finish middle-ish in the Big Ten also.
Plus, our coach dances.
Oats has done a good job building the program at Alabama, but has been the beneficiary of playing in a mediocre conference. SEC has 2 top 25 teams right now and Kentucky is a mess. Record against Top 25 is 1-3 this year.
Saying Howard inherited a well-oiled machine belittles the players he's brought in this year alone (Smith, Brown and Dickenson) and the offensive/defensive principles that the team operates under.
He should win
Well deserved! Hoping for a win! He has a done a phenomenal job this year!
COACH SCHOOL CONFERENCE
Darian DeVries Drake Missouri Valley
Scott Drew Baylor Big 12
Mark Few Gonzaga WCC
Leonard Hamilton Florida State ACC
Chris Holtmann Ohio State Big Ten
Juwan Howard Michigan Big Ten
Bob Huggins West Virginia Big 12
Porter Moser Loyola Chicago Missouri Valley
Eric Musselman Arkansas SEC
Nate Oats Alabama SEC
I thought semifinals meant the field was down to four. NCAA! We don’t do school.
It’s doesn’t matter. The real coach of the team, Phil Martelli, has already won this award before.
From unranked to clear cut champion of NCAA's toughest conference and a #2 ranking?
Is anyone else even in the picture?
Juwan IMHO should be a lock. After that mid season layoff due to the variant spread, I started to worry it would stunt their momentum. Coach Howard kept this team mentally prepped and ready for that return and they stormed out the gates knocking off top 25 teams in succession. Great coaching job this year!
All good coaches. But other than Alabama's Oats and maybe Ohio States' Holtmann do any of the others really deserve it? And who has a better resume for it this year than Howard? Maybe Florida State's coach. They weren't supposed to be that good either but it's more of the ACC being down than Florida State being up. I know Michigan wasn't a train wreck bottom feeder coming in but no one expected a solid 1 seed and a B1G title our of them. I think the same can be said for Alabama. So.. Howard by a nose? Ohio State's tanking at the end should eliminate Holtmann. Maybe? Dunno. I'm biased but I think I see Howard clearly as the winner
yeah if OSU had won out (including beating Michigan) Holtmann would be a real candidate even without winning the conference. It seems the main argument against JH would be a quasi "lifetime achievement" for Few, as the culmination this year for his multi-year build up of Gonzaga.
Chris Holtmann said "i guess they voted last week and didnt see my last 3 games"
Will be 4 straight OSU losses after Illini beat em today .
Don't really see an argument for anyone over coach Howard
Seems like Huggy Bear would win a lot more of these awards if it weren’t for his personality . . .