THE JOE B. HALL AWARD

2019 Joe B. Hall Award

April 5, 2019

THE 2019 AWARD

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Justin Hutson of Fresno State is the 2018-19 recipient of the Joe B. Hall Award, presented annually to the top first-year coach in Division I college basketball. 
 
Hutson, who replaced Rodney Terry, guided the Bulldogs to a 23-9 record and third-place finish in the Mountain West Conference standings. The 13 conference victories matched a Mountain West program-high. Fresno State defeated league champion Utah State and also scored an impressive nonconference victory over Northwestern early in the season. 
 
Hutson, 47, was an assistant at Mountain West rival San Diego State from 2013-18. The Bulldogs were top 25 nationally in shooting and defending 3-pointers.
 
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). 


2019 JOE B. HALL AWARD FINALISTS

Griff Aldrich, Longwood
Jeremy Ballard, FIU
David Cox, Rhode Island
Darian DeVries, Drake
Jared Grasso, Bryant
Penny Hardaway, Memphis
Tavaras Hardy, Loyola
Justin Hutson, Fresno State
Dusty May, FAU
Chris Ogden, UT Arlington
Sam Scholl, San Diego
Travis Steele, Xavier
 

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. 

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