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Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU’s Jans Named a Joe B. Hall Award Finalist
March 13, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Official Joe B. Hall Award Finalists Release
Boston, Massachusetts – Bowling Green State University head men's basketball coach Chris Jans has recently been named as one of ten finalists for the 2015 Joe B. Hall Award. The award is presented annually to the top first-year coach in college basketball.
The 2014-15 finalists include Jans (Bowling Green), Jon Coffman (IPFW), Dennis Cutts (UC Riverside), Travis DeCuire (Montana), James Fox (Appalachian State), Kevin Keatts (UNC Wilmington), Scott Padgett (Samford), David Richman (North Dakota State), Craig Smith (South Dakota), Keith Walker (Delaware State).
The award is named in the honor of Joe B. Hall who was given the task of following the legendary Adolph Rupp. In his first season at the University of Kentucky, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.
In his first season on the sidelines at BGSU, Coach Jans has guided the Falcons to a 20-11 overall record and an 11-7 league record in MAC play. The 20 wins for the Falcons are the most for BGSU in a single season since posting 24 in 2001-02, while their 11 MAC wins was the most for the Falcons in a single season since 11 in 2008-09.
The 20 wins are also an increase of eight wins from last year's 12 victories in 2013-14, while BGSU's fourth-place finish in the MAC was the highest regular season finish for the Falcons since 2008-09.
With his 20 wins this season, Coach Jans became the first BGSU men's basketball coach to win 20 games in his first year on the sidelines for the Falcons in the program's 100-year history.
Coach Jans and the Falcons have accepted a bid to play in the 2015 CollegeInsiders.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) and will play its first round game on Tuesday, March 17, on the road at Saint Francis (Pa.) in Loretto, Pa. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
The Falcons (20-11) will make its first postseason appearance since participating in the CIT back in 2012.
The recipient of the 2015 award will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Banquet on April 3 in Indianapolis, site of the 2015 men's division I basketball championship.
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About the Joe B. Hall Award
The award is named in the honor of Joe B. Hall who was given the task of following the legendary Adolph Rupp. In his first season at the University of Kentucky, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.
From 1972 to 1985 Hall would win two-thirds of his games (297-100), receive four SEC Coach of the Year honors and win a National Championship (1978). Along with the 1978 title, Hall also guided Kentucky to a runner-up finish to UCLA in the 1975 NCAA tournament, a Final Four appearance in the 1984 NCAA Tournament and an NIT championship in 1976. He won 8 Southeastern Conference regular season championships and one Southeastern Conference tournament championship (1984).
Hall is one of only three men to win an NCAA championship as a player (1949- Kentucky) and coach (1978- Kentucky). The only others to achieve this feat are Bob Knight and Dean Smith.
JOE B. HALL AWARD FINALISTS
Jon Coffman IPFW
Dennis Cutts UC Riverside
Travis DeCuire Montana
James Fox Appalachian State
Chris Jans Bowling Green
Kevin Keatts UNC Wilmington
Scott Padgett Samford
David Richman North Dakota State
Craig Smith South Dakota
Keith Walker Delaware State
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