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March 10,
2010
CollegeInsider.com establishes the Ben Jobe National
Coach of the Year Award
 BOSTON
(MA) -- CollegeInsider.com is pleased to announce
the finalists for the inaugural Ben Jobe Award. The
award will be presented annually to the top minority
coach in Division I college basketball.
As of today, this elite group of fifteen coaches has
fashioned an average record of 21-9 this season. The
finalists are Tommy Amaker (Harvard), Mike Anderson
(Missouri), Tevester Anderson (Jackson State), Tony
Barbee (UTEP), Todd Bozeman (Morgan State), Ed
Cooley (Fairfield), Mike Davis (UAB), Stan Heath
(South Florida), Ron Hunter (IUPUI), Sydney Johnson
(Princeton), Johnny Jones (North Texas), Marvin
Menzies (New Mexico State), Shaka Smart (VCU), John
Thompson III (Georgetown) and Cliff Warren
(Jacksonville).
The award is named for coaching legend Ben Jobe, who
spent the majority of his career at Historically
Black Colleges and Universities, won 524 games in 31
years. He is best known for his accomplishments at
Southern University, where he took the program to
four NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth.
A 30-member selection committee will vote this month
and the winner of the inaugural Ben Jobe Award will
be announced at the Final Four in Indianapolis.
2010 BEN JOBE AWARD FINALISTS
|
Coach |
School |
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Tommy Amaker |
Harvard |
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Mike Anderson |
Missouri |
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Tevester Anderson |
Jackson State |
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Tony Barbee |
UTEP |
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Todd Bozeman |
Morgan State |
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Ed Cooley |
Fairfield |
|
Mike Davis |
UAB |
|
Stan Heath |
South Florida |
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Ron Hunter |
IUPUI |
|
Sydney Johnson |
Princeton |
|
Johnny Jones |
North Texas |
|
Marvin Menzies |
New Mexico State |
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Shaka Smart |
VCU |
|
John Thompson III |
Georgetown |
|
Cliff Warren |
Jacksonville |
Jan.
26, 2010
CollegeInsider.com establishes the Ben Jobe National
Coach of the Year Award
 BOSTON
(MA) -- In its continued effort to recognize some of
the greats that have coached the game,
CollegeInsider.com announced the creation of the Ben
Jobe National Coach of the Year award.
“Coach Jobe is one of the great coaches of our
time,” says CollegeInsider.com co-founder Joe Dwyer.
“If he had coached at a high profile program he
would be a household name. Today’s game needs more
people like Ben Jobe. He is a success as both a
coach and a person. He truly is a legend in every
sense of the word.”
The 77-year old Jobe, who spent the majority of his
career coaching at historically Black Colleges, won
524 games in 31 years. He is best known for his
accomplishments at Southern University. During a
ten-year stretch (1986-1995) he took the Jaguars to
four NCAA Tournaments and one NIT appearance. In ten
seasons he never posted a losing record at Southern.
“This is such an honor for me,” says Jobe. “So many
people have helped me throughout my career and they
are the reason for this award. People like John
McClendon, Clarence ‘Big House’ Gaines and so many
others have helped to get where I am today. I have
been truly blessed. This is the biggest honor I have
ever had.”
Jobe’s coaching career began at Cameron High school
in Nashville in 1959. His very first team won 24
games, a school record. One year later he went to
West Africa to coach junior college ball. In Sierra
Leone, his team posted back-to-back undefeated
seasons.
He returned to the states to coach at Talladega in
1964. Throughout the 1960s and in the decades that
followed, Jobe established himself as a program
builder. He changed the fortunes of Alabama State
and South Carolina State where he took the Bulldogs
to five NAIA Tournaments in five seasons. In 1979
Jobe took over at the University of Denver. The
program had suffered through 11 straight losing
seasons, but under Jobe’s guidance the Pioneers
finished 15-12 in his first season. One year later
Denver won 20 games and had its first postseason
invite since 1947.
Jobe went on to the NBA's Denver Nuggets (assistant
coach and director of player personnel, 1980-81);
Georgia Tech University (assistant coach, 1981-82);
and Alabama A&M University (head coach, 1982-86). At
A&M he posted a record of 83-36 in four seasons,
taking the Bulldogs to three SIAC championships and
two NCAA Division II tournaments.
During the early 1970s Jobe was also a member of
Frank McGuire’s staff at the University of South
Carolina, a staff that included Bobby Cremins and
Donnie Walsh.
“It is an honor to be included in this prestigious
panel to commemorate the impressive career of my
friend, Ben Jobe,” says Donnie Walsh, General
Manager of the New York Knicks. “Ben was not only a
great coach, but a wonderful mentor for generations
of young athletes. I consider it a privilege to have
a vote for Coach of the Year honors.”
Walsh and Bobby Cremins are among the 30 members of
the Ben Jobe Award selection committee, which
includes Tony Bennett (Virginia), William Brown
(Talladega), Tim Carter (South Carolina State), Paul
Hewitt (Georgia Tech), Arthur Hightower (San Diego
Chargers), Avery Johnson (ESPN), Leon Kerry (CIAA
Commissioner), Floyd Keith (Black Coaches
Association), Jim Larranaga (George Mason), Vann
Pettaway (Alabama A&M), Tubby Smith (Minnesota),
Mike Wilson (Washington Wizards) and Steve Yoder
(New York Knicks).
The Ben Jobe Award will be presented annually to the
top minority coach in Division I college basketball.
The finalists for the award will be announced in
early March and the winner will announced on Friday,
April 2 at the Final Four in Indianapolis, IN.
BEN JOBE AWARD SELECTION COMMITTEE
|
Tony Bennett |
University of Virginia |
|
Alvin Brooks |
CollegeInsider.com |
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William Brown |
Talladega College |
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Tim Carter |
South Carolina State University |
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Mickey Clayton |
Florida A&M University |
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Bobby Cremins |
College of Charleston |
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Tommy Dempsey |
Rider University |
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Joe Dwyer |
CollegeInsider.com |
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Thad Fitzpatrick |
Brookwood High School |
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Paul Hewitt |
Georgia Tech |
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Arthur Hightower |
San Diego Chargers |
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Ben Jobe |
New York Knicks |
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Avery Johnson |
ESPN |
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Claude Johnson |
BlackFives.com |
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Leon Kerry |
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
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Floyd Keith |
Black Coaches Association |
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Mike LaPlante |
ESPN |
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Jim Larranaga |
George Mason University |
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Angela Lento |
CollegeInsider.com |
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Ron "Fang" Mitchell |
Coppin State University |
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Scott Monarch |
Marquette University |
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Vann Pettaway |
Alabama A&M University |
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Jeff Ruland |
University of the District of Columbia |
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Tubby Smith |
University of Minnesota |
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Rob Spivery |
Southern University |
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John Stansberry |
CollegeInsider.com |
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Donnie Waslsh |
New York Knicks |
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Mike Wilson |
Washington Wizards |
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Willis Wilson |
University of Memphis |
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Steve Yoder |
New York Knicks |
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