Montana Coach Travis DeCuire has been announced as one of ten finalists for the 2015 Joe B. Hall award. The award is presented annually to the top first-year coach in college basketball.
Coach DeCuire's 20 wins are the second most ever by a first-year UM coach. Blaine Taylor holds the school record for most wins in his inaugural season with 27 in 1991-92.
The 2014-15 finalists include Jon Coffman (IPFW), Dennis Cutts (UC Riverside), Travis DeCuire (Montana), James Fox (Appalachian State), Chris Jans (Bowling Green), Kevin Keatts (UNC Wilmington), Scott Padgett (Samford), David Richman (North Dakota State), Craig Smith (South Dakota), Keith Walker (Delaware State)
The award is named in the honor of Joe B. Hall who was given the task of following the legendary Adolph Rupp. In his first season at the University of Kentucky, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.
From 1972 to 1985 Hall would win two-thirds of his games (297-100), receive four SEC Coach of the Year honors and win a National Championship (1978). Along with the 1978 title, Hall also guided Kentucky to a runner-up finish to UCLA in the 1975 NCAA tournament, a Final Four appearance in the 1984 NCAA Tournament and an NIT championship in 1976. He won 8 Southeastern Conference regular season championships and one Southeastern Conference tournament championship (1984).
Hall is one of only three men to win an NCAA championship as a player (1949- Kentucky) and coach (1978- Kentucky). The only others to achieve this feat are Bob Knight and Dean Smith.
The recipient of the 2015 award will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Banquet on April 3 in Indianapolis, site of the 2015 men's division I basketball championship.
JOE B. HALL AWARD FINALISTS
Jon Coffman - IPFW
Dennis Cutts - UC Riverside
Travis DeCuire - Montana
James Fox - Appalachian State
Chris Jans - Bowling Green
Kevin Keatts - UNC Wilmington
Scott Padgett - Samford
David Richman - North Dakota State
Craig Smith - South Dakota
Keith Walker - Delaware State
