Sam Houston State's Marlin a Finalist for National Coaching Award
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Bob Marlin, of Sam Houston State, has been nominated as one of the fifteen finalists for the 2010 Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award were announced on Monday.
Fourteen of the finalists were regular season champions or co-champions or finished second in their respective leagues including Randy Bennett (St. Mary's), Tad Boyle (Northern Colorado), Todd Bozeman (Morgan State), Steve Donahue (Cornell), Cliff Ellis (Coastal Carolina), Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa), Greg Kampe (Oakland), Billy Kennedy (Murray State), Bob Marlin (Sam Houston State), Fran McCaffery (Siena), Randy Rahe (Weber State), Brad Stevens (Butler), Blaine Taylor (Old Dominion) and Mike Young (Wofford). Also on the list in Tony Shaver (William & Mary).
The Hugh Durham Award is given annually to the nation's top mid-major coach, as voted on by the 20-member panel. The winner will be presented with the award at the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Marlin has directed Sam Houston State to a 22-7 record this season as Sam Houston has won the 2010 Southland Conference regular season title. The championship is Marlin's third as Bearkat head coach. Sam Houston is one of only 51 teams in NCAA Division I men's basketball that have produced 20-win seasons four of the last five years.
In 2005 the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Coach of the Year award was renamed in honor of Hugh Durham, the coaching legend who had retired at the end of the 2004-05 season. Durham is one of just twelve 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.
The previous winners of the award were Bozeman last season, Keno Davis(Drake) in 2008, Gregg Marshall (Winthrop) in 2007, Pat Flannery (Bucknell) in 2006 and Bob Thomason (Pacific) in 2005.
2010 Hugh Durham Coach of the Year Finalists
Randy Bennett, St. Mary's
Tad Boyle, Northern Colorado
Todd Bozeman, Morgan State
Steve Donahue, Cornell
Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina
Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa
Greg Kampe, Oakland
Billy Kennedy, Murray State
Bob Marlin, Sam Houston State
Fran McCaffery, Siena
Randy Rahe, Weber State
Tony Shaver, William & Mary
Brad Stevens, Butler
Blaine Taylor, Old Dominion
Mike Young, Wofford