March 5, 2025
FINALISTS FOR 2024-25 BEN JOBE AWARD
The top minority head coaches in college basketball
BOSTON, MA -- CollegeInsider.com has announced the finalists for the 2024-25 Ben Jobe award. The award is presented annually to the top minority head coach in division I college basketball.
The Ben Jobe Award is named in honor of one of the most iconic coaches in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is best known as the head coach of Southern University, a position he held for 12 seasons. He was also head coach at Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Talladega, Tuskegee, and South Carolina State.
His record at Southern was 209-141 and included four NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached the Jaguars to one NIT appearance, five SIAC championships, 11 SWAC titles and two NAIA Tournament Championships. Perhaps his most memorable moment as a coach was leading No. 15 seed Southern to a 93-78 win over No. 2 Georgia Tech in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament. It stands as one of the great upsets in the history of the event.
Coach Jobe passed away on March 10, 2017.
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.
BEN JOBE AWARD FINALISTS
Alvin Brooks |
Lamar |
Penny Collins |
Tennessee State |
Chris Crutchfield |
Omaha |
Travis DeCuire |
Montana |
Dennis Gates |
Missouri |
Penny Hardaway |
Memphis |
Cornelius Jackson |
Marshall |
Kevin Johnson |
Southern |
James Jones |
Yale |
Mike Jones |
UNCG |
Robert Jones |
Norfolk State |
Chris Markwood |
Maine |
Erik Martin |
South Carolina State |
Ritchie McKay |
Liberty |
Antoine Pettway |
Kennesaw State |
Richie Riley |
South Alabama |
Daniyal Robinson |
Cleveland State |
Kelvin Sampson |
Houston |
Patrick Sellers |
Central Connecticut State |
Takayo Siddle |
UNCW |
Duane Simpkins |
American |
Tony Skinn |
George Mason |
Shaka Smart |
Marquette |
Damon Stoudamire |
Georgia Tech |
Drew Valentine |
Loyola Chicago |
2024: Donte' Jackson, Grambling
2023: Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt
2022: Kelvin Sampson, Houston
2021: Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
2020: Damon Stoudamire, Pacific
2019: James Jones, Yale
2018: Donte' Jackson, Grambling
2017: Jamion Christian, Mount St. Mary's
2016: Dana Ford, Tennessee State
2015: Bobby Collins, UMES
2014: Willis Wilson, Texas A&M Corpus Christi
2013: Kevin Ollie, Connecticut
2012: Sean Woods, Mississippi Valley State
2011: Cuonzo Martin, Missouri State
2010: Ed Cooley, Fairfield