The University of Akron Athletics
Dambrot Named Red Auerbach Coach of the Year Finalist
March 15 | Men's Basketball
For the second-straight season, University of Akron men's basketball head coach Keith Dambrot was named one of five finalists for the 2011 Red Auerbach College Coach of the Year Award, the Jewish Coaches Association announced on Tuesday.
The Red Auerbach Award is given annually to the nation's top Jewish college coach, as voted on by the members of the Jewish Coaches Association (JCA). The winner will be presented with the award at the Final Four in Houston, Texas.
Dambrot, in his seventh season at the helm of the Zips, lead Akron (23-12) to its second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years after winning the 2011 FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Championship.
Dambrot was a finalist for the 2010 edition of the award, as was Memphis men's basketball head coach Josh Pastner, and are joined on this year's list by men's head coach Gary Manchel, Mercyhurst College; women's head coach Andy Yosinoff, Emmanuel College; and men's head coach Joe Pasternack, University of New Orleans.
Keith
Dambrot - University of Akron
In buzzer-beating fashion, Dambrot led Akron to yet another NCAA
Tournament berth, capturing the Mid-American Conference tournament
title. The Zips are making their fifth post-season appearance in
six years, including two NCAA Tournament (2011, 2009), one NIT
(2008) and one CBI (2010) berth over the last four years. Akron has
won 20 or more games in six-straight seasons, one of just 20 teams
in the country to do so, and have appeared in five-straight MAC
title games.
Gary Manchel - Mercyhurst College
In his eighth year at Mercyhurst College, Manchel guided the
Mercyhurst Lakers to one of their best seasons in school history,
accumulating a 20-7 record and reaching the Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference quarterfinal berth. The team was ranked as high
as No. 17 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
Division II poll during the season.
Andy Yosinoff - Emmanuel College (Women)
In his 34th year, Yosinoff guided the Lady Saints to a 20-8 record
and their 16th NCAA Division III Tournament, where they fell to
Mount Saint Mary College in the first round. The Lady Saints
finished undefeated in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference
regular season and went on to win the conference tournament title,
beating Suffolk 83-67.
Josh Pastner - University of Memphis
In just his second season at the helm at Memphis, with one of the
youngest rosters in the nation, Pastner guided the Tigers back to
the NCAA Tournament, accumulating a 25-9 record and winning the
Conference USA Tournament.
Joe Pasternack - University of New Orleans
After a tumultuous off-season, which saw the Privateers begin the
transition from Division I to Division II, limiting scholarships
and resources in the process, Pasternack was able to lead New
Orleans to a 16-6 record. He continues the rebuilding process for
the Privateers basketball team and New Orleans athletics in general
since Hurricane Katrina.
In 2009 the Jewish Coaches Association named its college coach of
the year award after Red Auerbach, the coaching legend that won 938
games (a record at his retirement) and nine National Basketball
Association (NBA) championships as a coach. As general manager and
team president of the Celtics, he won an additional seven NBA
titles, for a grand total of 16 in a span of 29 years, making him
one of the most successful team officials ever in the history of
professional sports.
The Zips return to action on Friday, March 18, when they face Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Chicago. Tip off is set for 1:40 p.m. ET and the game will air live on TBS.
