Jim Phelan Coach of the Year Finalists: Full list of coaches announced ft. Matt Painter, Dan Hurley and more

This year`s Jim Phelan Coach of the Year finalists include coaches who have led their teams through thick and thin, with a lot of them pushing their squads into March Madness and if not, winning seasons throughout.

Here`s a complete list of the finalists for National Coach of the Year (via JimPhelanAward.com):

• Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida

• Rick Barnes, Tennessee
• Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s
• Mark Byington, James Madison
• Chris Collins, Northwestern
• Hubert Davis, North Carolina
• Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon
• Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
• Dan Hurley, Connecticut
• Dustin Kerns, Appalachian State
• Chris Mooney, Richmond
• T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
• Matt Painter, Purdue
• Lamont Paris, South Carolina
• Bruce Pearl, Auburn
• Kelvin Sampson, Houston
• Josh Schertz, Indiana State
• Kyle Smith, Washington State
• Danny Sprinkle, Utah State
• Will Wade, McNeese

First being awarded in the 2002-2003 season, the Jim Phelan Coach of the Year award has already seen 21 total recipients. Its inaugural awardee was former Mercer head coach Mark Slonaker, who led the team to a 23-6 record that year.

Who could win Coach of the Year?

It is impossible to predict who could win the coveted award for college basketball`s top tactician at this point. There aren`t even any odds to potentially gauge who bettors want to win, but perhaps a look at some of these coaches and their team`s 2023-2024 seasons could provide an insight.

The coaches of the four top seeds likely bear more weight than others: UConn`s Dan Hurley, Purdue`s Matt Painter, UNC`s Hubert Davis and Houston`s Kelvin Sampson. Each of these head coaches proved to be capable of leaving the Selection Committee no doubt as to how they`d fare in the Big Dance.

Dan Hurley

If one is to choose a single recipient, then it could be argued that UConn head coach Dan Hurley is a true frontrunner. The Huskies are ranked first in the entire nation and have not faced major problems during the regular season (including the Big East conference title).

As the current Big East Coach of the Year, Hurley has also led UConn to its first Big East championship in over a decade (via BigEast.com). Aside from that, Hurley is also the second-fastest coach in conference history to 50 conference wins – doing it in just 70 games.

Many believe that UConn will win back-to-back titles, though some teams could have something to say about that; specifically Creighton. But that`s a topic for another time.

Matt Painter

Purdue`s Matt Painter is on a quest for redemption with the Boilermakers while they still have Zach Edey to help get them over the ghosts of postseasons past. One could argue that history isn`t exactly on Painter`s side, as he`s already led the Boilermakers to high seeds in past tournaments only to be eliminated early from the race.

The boys from West Lafayette are currently ranked third in the nation. They did miss out on a Big 10 title after coming up short against Illinois. This could be bad for his chances at winning the Coach of the Year plum, but he likely has his sights keen on a far bigger prize.

Kelvin Sampson

In an era of basketball where defense has taken a backseat to offense, the Houston Cougars are a breath of fresh air. And that`s thanks in part to Kelvin Sampson, who`s turned his team into absolute dogs on the defensive end.

One can say that Houston`s suffocating defensive pressure is the only thing that`s keeping them in the race. And so far, it`s gone well enough for them. They`re ranked second overall despite being barely able to score, and that should say a lot about the effectiveness of Sampson`s schemes.

Who do you think deserves to win the award? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.