BOSTON, Mass. – CollegeInsider.com announced the winner of the 2021 Jim Phelan Award and Southern Utah’s Todd Simon has been named the recipient of the award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I coach.
“In the five seasons before Todd Simon took over, Southern Utah averaged seven wins per season,” said Angela Lento Vice President of CollegeInsider.com. “He has shown a great ability to do more with less and there is no question that he will do great things in coaching, before his career is over.”
Simon just wrapped up his fifth year coaching at Southern Utah University, leading his Thunderbirds to their first-ever Big Sky Conference Regular Season Title and a 20-4 record this season. He was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year after directing SUU to the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Sky Conference Tournament and coached four players to the various Big Sky All-Conference teams.
The Thunderbirds finished the regular season with a .864 winning percentage, which was the best in the program’s Division I history. They also finished their Big Sky Conference schedule with a .857 winning percentage, with the previous high for the program in the league being .450.
Southern Utah finished the regular season with the fourth-best scoring offense in the nation at 84.2 points per game. They were also eighth in the NCAA in scoring margin with a +14.7.
The Jim Phelan Award is named in honor of a legendary bow-tied coach who spent his entire career at Mount Saint Mary’s University.
Phelan led the Mountaineers to the 1962 NCAA Men’s Division II Basketball Championship. When he retired in 2003, after coaching for 49 years, he had amassed 830 wins (overall record of 830-524) in all divisions. In those 49 years, 19 of his teams amassed 20 or more wins in a season.
2021 Jim Phelan Award Finalists
Casey Alexander, Belmont
Tony Bennett, Virginia
Mike Boynton, Oklahoma State
Isaac Brown, Wichita State
Scott Davenport, Bellarmine
Darian DeVries, Drake
Scott Drew, Baylor
Andy Enfield, USC
Mark Few, Gonzaga
Dennis Gates, Cleveland State
Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
Chris Holtmann, Ohio State
Juwan Howard, Michigan
Bob Huggins, West Virginia
Pat Kelsey, Winthrop
Eric Konkol, Louisiana Tech
Ritchie McKay, Liberty
Porter Moser, Loyola Chicago
Eric Mussleman, Arkansas
Nate Oats, Alabama
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M
Preston Spradlin, Morehead State
Brad Underwood, Illinois
Past Winners of the Jim Phelan Award
2020: Steve Pikiell, Rutgers
2019: Ritchie McKay, Liberty
2018: Chris Holtmann, Ohio State
2017: Frank Martin, South Carolina
2016: Greg Gard, Wisconsin
2015: Bob Huggins, West Virginia
2014: Tim Miles, Nebraska
2013: Dana Altman, Oregon
2012: Mike Brey, Notre Dame
2011: Stew Morrill, Utah State
2010: Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh
2009: John Calipari, Memphis
2008: Bo Ryan, Wisconsin
2007: Tony Bennett, Washington State
2006: Ben Howland, UCLA
2005: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
2004: Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s
2003: Mark Slonaker, Mercer
Story and photo courtesy of SUU Athletics
