Three Big 12 Coaches Tabbed to Naismith Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List
The Big 12 is the best conference in college basketball, and therefore it’s a given it boasts some of the best coaches in the country. A trio of those have been named to the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List.
Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger, Kansas State’s Jerome Tang and Texas’ Rodney Terry all were among the 15 mentioned. They join the likes of Saint Mary’s’ Randy Bennett, Pittsburgh’s Jeff Capel, Northwestern’s Chris Collins, UCLA’s Mick Cronin, Missouri’s Dennis Gates, College of Charleston’s Pat Kelsey, Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May, Xavier’s Sean Miller, Alabama’s Nate Oats, Matt Painter of Purdue, Kelvin Sampson of Houston and Shaka Smart of Marquette on the list.
Otzelberger has directed his Cyclones to a 17-8 record so far, including an 8-5 mark in Big 12 play. With that, they currently sit just a game out of a three-way tie for first place between Baylor, Kansas and Texas.
Tang’s Wildcats were in first earlier on until a recent rough patch. Still, they’re only two games out of first with their 7-6 league mark, having compiled a 19-7 record this year.
Terry’s aforementioned Longhorns stand as one of those three squads tied for first. With Chris Beard dismissed earlier this season in light of domestic violence charges, Terry in the interim has stepped in and helped the ‘Horns surge to the top with a 9-4 Big 12 record and 20-6 record overall.
As for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, 10 semifinalists will be announced on Thursday, March 9, and those can include candidates not currently included. A group of four finalists will then be selected on Monday, March 20, for a final round that includes an opportunity for consumers to participate through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote presented by Jersey Mike’s and account for 5% of the total vote. That runs from March 21-28, and a winner will be announced on Sunday, April 2, at the Naismith Awards Brunch presented by Frost Bank at the Final Four in Houston.
