THE JOE B. HALL AWARD

March 3, 2025

FINALISTS FOR 2024-25 JOE B. HALL AWARD
The top first-year head coaches in college basketball

BOSTON, MA -- CollegeInsider.com has announced the finalists for the 2024-25 Joe B. Hall award. The award is presented annually to the top first-time head coach in division I college basketball.

The Joe B. Hall award is named in honor of longtime Kentucky head coach Joe B. Hall who was given the task of following the legendary Adolph Rupp at the school. In his first season, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.

Hall coached the Wildcats from 1972 to 1985. He won two-thirds of his games (297-100), received four SEC Coach of the Year honors, and won a National Championship in 1978. He also steered the program to two other Final Fours, won eight Southeastern Conference regular season championships and one Southeastern Conference tournament championship (1984).

Coach Hall passed away on January 15, 2022.

The recipient of the annual 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 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.

JOE B. HALL AWARD FINALISTS

Patrick Crarey II

Florida A&M

Mike DeGeorge

Cal Poly

Ethan Faulkner

Youngstown State

Kahil Fennell

UT Rio Grande Valley

Cornelius Jackson

Marshall

John Jakus

FAU

Jon Jaques

Cornell

Mike Jones

Old Dominion

Donny Lind

Mount St. Mary's

Jonathan Mattox

Morehead State

Ben McCollum

Drake

Gerry McNamara

Siena

Hank Plona

Western Kentucky

Clint Sargent

Wright State

Ivan Thomas

Hampton

Kevin Young

BYU

 

The Joe B. Hall award is presented annually to the top first-time head coach in Division I college basketball. 
 
A longtime Kentucky assistant, Joe B. Hall was given the task of following the legendary Adolph Rupp at the school. In his first season, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.
 
Hall coached the Wildcats from 1972 to 1985. He won two-thirds of his games (297-100), received four SEC Coach of the Year honors and won a National Championship in 1978. He also steered the program to two other Final Fours, won eight Southeastern Conference regular season championships and one Southeastern Conference tournament championship (1984). 
 
The Joe B. Hall award voting panel is made up of current division I coaches, athletic administrators, and senior College Insider staff members.  The recipient of the 2024-25 award will be announced in April, in San Antonio, TX site of the men's Division I NCAA Basketball Championship.

The Joe B. Hall award is presented annually to first-year head coach in division I college basketball, as voted on by the award committee. Eligible coaches must be in the first season as a head at the division I level.

The 10-member voting committee consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.

The award is presented annually at the site of the men's Division I NCAA basketball championship. 

Champign Image
Champign Image
Champign Image