BOSTON, MA --- Head men's basketball coach Lamont Paris has been named a finalist for The 2022 Ben Jobe Award, which is presented annually to the top Division I minority coach, Collegeinsider.com announced Tuesday evening.
Paris led Chattanooga to an NCAA Tournament appearance behind a 27-8 overall mark this season while claiming the Southern Conference regular season and tournament crowns.
Over the past three years, UTC has amassed a 65-28 (.699) overall record under the guidance of which that included 20, 18 (COVID-shortened schedule) and 27 win seasons. Paris was named the 2022 Southern Conference Coach of the Year in the postseason coaches poll.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Ben Jobe Award is named in honor of one of the finest men in college basketball.
Coach Jobe is an icon in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is best known as the head coach of the 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.
2021-22 BEN JOBE AWARD FINALISTS
Kenny Blakeney, Howard
Mike Boynton, Oklahoma State
Landon Bussie, Alcorn State
Ed Cooley, Providence
Hubert Davis, North Carolina
Dana Ford, Missouri State
Dennis Gates, Cleveland State
Penny Hardaway, Memphis
Shaheen Holloway, Saint Peter's
Rob Jeter, Western Illinois
Terrence Johnson, Texas State
James Jones, Yale
Robert Jones, Norfolk State
Rob Lanier, Georgia State
Shantay Legans, Portland
Tony Madlock, South Carolina State
Bashir Mason, Wagner
Jordan Mincy, Jacksonville
Lamont Paris, Chattanooga
Richie Riley, South Alabama
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Takayo Siddle, UNCW
Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt
Dedrique Taylor, Cal State Fullerton
Drew Valentine, Loyola
