Mike Morrell Named a Finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award

Published 2:04 pm Thursday, March 9, 2023

BOSTON, Mass. – UNC Asheville Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Morrell was named a finalist for the 2022-23 Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award on Tuesday. The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the top Division I mid-major coach in college basketball.

 Morrell, the 2022-23 Big South Coach of the Year, has guided the Bulldogs to one of the best seasons in program history in 2022-23. Asheville not only posted a school record 27 wins this season but also captured both the Big South Regular Season and Tournament Championships. It marks Asheville’s fourth outright regular season championship and eighth overall. The tournament title for the Bulldogs is their sixth in program history and with it earned the Big South’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, their first appearance since 2016.

 The Bulldogs’ 27 victories are tied for the fourth-most in Division I men’s basketball and are the most by any Division I school in the State of North Carolina. Furthermore, Morrell’s 2022-23 Bulldogs matched the school record with 16 Big South regular season victories and set a new single-season program record with 25 wins against Division I opponents. Additionally, Morrell has led Asheville to an 18-1 record during the 2023 calendar year.

 Coaches of teams in the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt, WAC, West Coast.