There are so many coaches deserving of awards this year. It was extremely difficult to boil it down to just seven coaches who I thought really stuck out.
I selected one coach as the Coach of the Year, and six Coaches as "The Staff"
Introducing the inaugural National Coaches of the Year award winners...
National Coach of the Year
Elliot Steinmetz - Yeshiva
“The Staff”
Landry Kosmalski - Swarthmore
Greg Dunne – Brockport
Brody Jackson – Pitt Greensburg
Mike Fuline – Mount Union
Stefan Thompson – Hobart
Charles Katsiaficas - Pomona-Pitzer
Elliot Steinmetz - Yeshiva
Overall Record: 29-1, Sweet 16 Berth
Steinmetz led the Macs to a place no one ever thought possible, except for him. The Macs weren't just winning games, they were beating up on teams. Steinmetz has created a monster at a school that historically been towards the bottom of their league for decades. After an opening loss to Occidental, the Maccabees tallied 29 straight wins and finished with the best overall record in Division III.
Landry Kosmalski - Swarthmore
Overall Record: 28-1, Sweet 16 Berth
Coach Kosmalski kept Swarthmore as arguably the top team in the nation all year, coming in at Number 1 in every national ranking publicized since October. They did that all without a "star" player. After losing All-American Cam Wiley after last season, some wondered what Swarthmore team would show up this year. Kosmalski led the Garnet to a fourth straight Sweet 16 and an 18-0 mark in the Centennial Conference regular season.
Greg Dunne - Brockport
Overall Record: 26-3, Sweet 16 Berth
Coach Dunne had the Golden Eagles thinking Final Four this season. And for anyone that watched them play, you could believe it. After a loss in early January, Brockport never looked back winning their next 19 games in a row. After All-American and Bevo Francis candidate Justin Summers went down, Brockport did not flinch and kept on winning. Then he came back and they started really clicking. Dunne led Brockport to one of their best seasons ever.
Brody Jackson - Pitt Greensburg
Overall Record: 20-6, ECAC Berth
When Coach Jackson came to Greensburg, they went 1-24 his first year. Now, in his fourth year, he had the Bobcats contending for an AMCC title. They went 16-4 in league, and the 20 wins are the most in 20 years. The .769 winning percentage is the best in Bobcat history since joining the NCAA.
Mike Fuline - Mount Union
Overall Record: 27-3, Sweet 16 Berth
Mount Union was at their top of their game when COVID-19 took over our world. Fuline had the Raiders looking like one of the best teams in the country and poised for a possible National Championship. the 27 wins were the most in program history, and the 17-1 OAC record made them only the fifth OAC team in the last 40 years to win that many games.
Stefan Thompson - Hobart
Overall Record: 23-5, Sweet 16 Berth
Over the summer, Coach Thompson was named Head Coach at Hobart, his alma mater. In his first year as Head Coach, he led Statesmen to one of their best seasons ever. The 23 wins are tied for the most in program history, and the .821 winning percentage is the highest all time. Four of Hobart's five losses were at the hands of NCAA tournament teams (Brockport, RPI twice, Ithaca) and a tough Union team. Not many people outside of that locker room saw them advancing to the Sweet 16.
Charles Katsiaficas - Pomona-Pitzer
Overall Record: 24-5, Sweet 16 Berth
Pomona-Pitzer shocked the world with their second round upset of Emory at the buzzer. But for those who had watched Katsiaficas and his crew all season, they knew what the Sagehens were capable of. They had won 8 games in a row heading into the Sweet 16, looking poised to upset another phenomenal team in Elmhurst. This was the second straight year Katsiaficas led his team to 24 or more wins as well.
Pomona-Pitzer's game-winner at Emory to put the Sagehens in their first ever Sweet 16
Comments