• Hugh Durham Award Website
Belmont's
Rick Byrd and Eastern Kentucky's
Jeff Neubauer are two of the 15 finalists for the 2014 Hugh Durham Award, which is presented annually by CollegeInsider.com to the nation's top mid-major coach.
The award is named in honor of Hugh Durham who had retired at the end of the 2004-05 season. Durham is one of just 12 coaches to have led two different programs to the NCAA Final Four (Florida State in 1972 and Georgia in 1983). He is the only coach among that group to have led both schools to their lone Final Four appearance.
"It is always so difficult to limit the list of finalists," said CollegeInsider.com's Angela Lento. "This list could easily include 25 plus names."
Byrd led the Bruins to its second-consecutive OVC regular season championship in 2013-14 after compiling a 14-2 record. After advancing to the championship game of the OVC Tournament, the team earned a National Invitational Tournament bid where they topped Green Bay and Robert Morris in the first two rounds before falling at Clemson in the quarterfinals.
Neubauer directed his team to the OVC Tournament Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Neubauer’s game plan against No. 2 seed Kansas allowed EKU to nearly upset the Jayhawks. Eastern led for more than half the game, was in front by one with 8:55 left to play, and was down only three with less than four minutes remaining. The Colonels finished the 2013-14 season with a 24-10 record, the second-most victories ever for an Eastern team.
The other finalists include Mike Brennan (American), Tim Clues (Iona), Steve Hawkins (Western Michigan), Bob Hoffman (Mercer), Ron Hunter (Georgia State), Tony Jasick (IPFW), Tod Kowalczyk (Toledo), Gregg Marshall (Wichita State), LeVelle Moton (North Carolina Central), Saul Phillips (North Dakota State), Monte Ross (Delaware), Brad Underwood (Stephen F. Austin) and Will Wade (Chattanooga).
The winner of the 2014 Durham award will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Banquet on April 4 in Dallas, site of the Division I Men's Basketball Championship.