Three CAA Men’s Basketball Head Coaches Earn National Finalist Honors
Dylan Smith, Hampton Athletic Communications, Towson Athletic Communications, William & Mary Athletic Communications
RICHMOND, Va. – Hampton Head Coach Ivan Thomas, Towson Head Coach Pat Skerry and William & Mary Head Coach Brian Earl have been chosen as finalists for select National Coach of the Year Awards, according to CollegeInsider.com. Skerry and Earl were named two of the 25 finalists for the Hugh Durham Award, annually given out to the top coach at the mid-major level. Thomas joined 15 additional coaches for the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the nation’s top first-time head coach at a Division I program.
Skerry led Towson to its first outright CAA Regular Season Championship in school history following a 16-2 record in league play. The Tigers became just the sixth team in league history to secure 16 wins in a season. Skerry’s team also surged with a 12-game winning streak in league action, marking the third-longest streak in CAA history.
Earl, who entered his first season with William & Mary, took the program to a fourth-place finish in the league with an 11-7 record. The Tribe saw significant increases in Earl’s first campaign with several statistical marks ranked inside the top 30, including 10.4 made 3-pointers per game (14th in NCAA).
In his first season with the Pirates, Thomas guided the program to 16 wins, including eight victories in league play. Hampton also produced its first undefeated month in 22 years under the direction of Thomas. The Pirates also snapped a nine-season stretch with multiple five-game winning streaks this season.
The Hugh Durham Award is named in honor of the former Florida State, Georgia and Jacksonville head coach. In eight seasons at Jacksonville University, Durham became the Dolphins' all-time winningest Division I coach (106 wins), making him the only coach in NCAA history to be the winningest coach (pct. or wins) at three different Division I schools (Florida State, Georgia).
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 these annual awards 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 winners will be announced in San Antonio, Texas, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.