McNeese’s Will Wade named finalist for two National Coach of the Year awards

BOSTON MA – On the same day of being named the NABC District 22 Coach of the Year, McNeese first-year head coach Will Wade has been named a finalist for two National Coach of the Year Awards – The Jim Phelan Award and the Hugh Durham Award.

Wade, the Southland Conference Coach of the Year, has guided McNeese to its most successful season as a Division I school, rolling up a 30-3 record while capturing the Southland Conference regular season and tournament championships.

He’ll lead the Cowboys into Thursday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed against 5th-seeded Gonzaga at 6:25 CT.

Wade is one of 20 finalists for each award.

The Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award is presented annually to the top head coach in division I college basketball.

The award is named in honor of a legendary bow-tied coach who spent his entire head coaching career at Mount Saint Mary’s University.

Phelan was a 2008 inductee into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame after a storied career of 49 years as a head coach at Mount St. Mary’s where he amassed 830 wins, 16 Division II NCAA tournaments, five Final Four appearances and the DII National Championship in 1962.

He passed away on June 15, 2021 at the age of 92.

The Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball.

The award is named in honor of the former Florida State, Georgia and Jacksonville head coach. In eight seasons, at Jacksonville University, Durham became the Dolphins’ all-time winningest Division I coach (106 wins), making him the only coach in NCAA history to be the winningest coach (pct. or wins) at three different Division I schools.

The recipient of both national coach of the year awards is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.

The 2024 awards will be announced in Phoenix, AZ, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.

2024 Jim Phelan Award Finalists
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

2024 Hugh Durham Award Finalists
John Becker — Vermont
Randy Bennett Saint Mary’s
Mark Byington James Madison
Chris Casey — Fairfield
Darian DeVries Drake
Bryce Drew — Grand Canyon
Mitch Henderson — — Princeton
Alan Huss — High Point
Greg Kampe — Oakland
Dustin Kerns — Appalachian State
Phil Martelli Jr. Bryant
Bucky McMillan — Samford
Chris Mudge — Sam Houston
Eric Olen — UC San Diego
Josh Schertz — Indiana State
Patrick Sellers Central Connecticut State
Russell Turner Stetson
Will Wade — McNeese
Sundance Wicks — Green Bay