Phillips Named Finalist for Nation’s Top Mid-Major Coach Award

3/5/2025 2:04:00 PM

BOSTON, Mass. – Utah Valley University head men's basketball coach Todd Phillips has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2024-25 Hugh Durham Award, CollegeInsider.com announced on Tuesday. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball.

Phillips is one of 25 finalists for this year's award, which will be presented in San Antonio, Texas, during the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. The Hugh Durham Award honors the legendary coach who built successful programs at Florida State, Georgia, and Jacksonville, and remains the only coach to be the winningest coach at three different Division I schools.

In just his second season at the helm, Phillips has guided Utah Valley to a 21-7 overall record and a 13-1 mark in WAC play, placing the Wolverines alone atop the conference standings entering the final week of the regular season. Under Phillips' leadership, UVU has a chance to secure its fourth WAC regular season championship and the top seed at the upcoming WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.

Phillips has already made program history, leading Utah Valley to the first undefeated home season in school history with a perfect 12-0 record at the UCCU Center. The Wolverines have been dominant over the last two months, winning 16 of their last 17 games and emerging as one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranking third nationally in blocks per game.

Last season, Phillips became the winningest first-year head coach in UVU's Division I history, leading the Wolverines to 16 wins, and his 37 total victories over his first two seasons are the most by any coach in UVU's Division I era.

The complete list of finalists for the 2024-25 Hugh Durham Award includes:
Lennie Acuff, Lipscomb
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's
Alvin Brooks, Lamar
Chris Crutchfield, Omaha
John Dunne, Marist
Brian Earl, William & Mary
John Groce, Akron
Ray Harper, Jacksonville State
Alan Huss, High Point
Kevin Johnson, Southern
James Jones, Yale
Robert Jones, Norfolk State
Chris Markwood, Maine
Ben McCollum, Drake
David McLaughlin, Dartmouth
Ritchie McKay, Liberty
Eric Olen, UC San Diego
Todd Phillips, Utah Valley
Tony Pujol, North Alabama
Ritchie Riley, South Alabama
Patrick Sellers, Central Connecticut State
Pat Skerry, Towson
John Tauer, St. Thomas
Andy Toole, Robert Morris
Will Wade, McNeese

For more information on the Hugh Durham Award, visit HughDurhamAward.com.

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