March 5, 2026

FINALISTS FOR 2025-26 HUGH DURHAM AWARD
The top head coaches in mid-major college basketball

BOSTON, MA -- CollegeInsider.com has announced the finalists for the 2025-26 Hugh Durham award. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball.

The Hugh Durham 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.

He built national programs at Florida State where he holds the record for best winning percentage with a 230-95 (.708) record in 12 years. And at Georgia where he is also the all-time winningest coach in the 99-year history of the Bulldog program, having won 297 games in 17 seasons.

Durham coached Florida State and Georgia to a combined 8 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 2 Final Fours. He is one of 17 coaches to take multiple teams to the Final Four.

Coaches of teams in the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Coastal Athletic, CUSA, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt, WAC, West Coast.

The recipient of the award 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 2026 award will be announced in Indianapolis, IN, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.

HUGH DURHAM AWARD FINALISTS

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
John Groce, Akron (2025); Josh Schertz, Indiana State (2024); Amir Abdur-Rahim, Kennesaw State (2023); Robert Jones, Norfolk State (2022); Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M (2021); Steve Forbes, ETSU (2020); Darian DeVries, Drake (2019); Ryan Odom, UMBC (2018); Rod Barnes, CSU Bakersfield (2017); James Jones, Yale (2016); Brian Katz, Sacramento State (2015); Tony Jasick, IPFW (2014); Danny Kaspar, Stephen F. Austin (2013); Eddie Payne, USC Upstate (2012); Rick Byrd, Belmont (2011); Mike Young, Wofford (2010); Todd Bozeman, Morgan State (2009); Keno Davis, Drake (2008); Greg Marshall, Winthrop (2007); Pat Flannery, Bucknell (2006); Bob Thomason, Pacific (2005).

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