Naismith Coach of the Year finalists: Full list of coaches announced feat. Dan Hurley

Since 1986, the Naismith Coach of the Year award has been given to the coach voted the best in NCAA Division 1 college basketball. For its first two years after the award was created, it was given to the coach who won the NCAA Tournament; however, it was later changed to a voting process to determine the winner.

With legendary multiple-time Naismith Coach of the Year Award-winning coaches like Mike Krzyzerski and Jay Wright retiring in recent seasons, it has opened up the opportunity for some new names to appear on the list of finalists. Here is the list of finalists for the 2024 Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Award.

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2024 Naismith Coach of the Year finalists

Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida

USF head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim celebrating with fans

University of South Florida head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim has led the Bulls to a 23-6 record in his first season at the helm. USF finished in first place after the regular season in the American Conference.

Abdur-Rahim took the job at USF this season after coaching at Kennesaw State for the last four seasons. He turned their program around during that time, bringing them from a ninth-place ASUN Conference team all the way to first place in 2023. Kennesaw State earned a March Madness berth last season going 26-9, but they would fall in the first round to Xavier.

Hubert Davis, North Carolina

North Carolina v Virginia

Hubert Davis is one of the favorites to win the Naismith Coach of the Year Award this season after leading the North Carolina Tar Heels to first place in the ACC after the regular season. The Tar Heels are 26-6 this season and on pace for a top seed in March Madness.

Davis began as an assistant coach at UNC in 2012 before being announced as the replacement for legendary head coach Roy Williams, who retired in 2021. He is currently 75-29 as the head coach of the Tar Heels, with just a couple games remaining in his third season.

Lamont Paris, South Carolina

SEC Basketball Tournament - Second Round

Lamont Paris is currently in his second season in charge of the South Carolina Gamecocks after five seasons at Chattanooga. Paris earned this job after completing a total turnaround at Chattanooga, bringing them from a 3-15 team to 14-4 in his final season there.

Paris has continued that success at South Carolina, going 26-6 this season with a likely March Madness appearance upcoming. Paris could add the Naismith Coach of the Year Award to his trophy cabinet next to his AP Coach of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year awards, which he already won earlier this year.

Kelvin Sampson, Houston

TCU v Houston

Transitioning into the Big 12 Conference is no easy task, but Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has made it look as though it is. The Cougars are the number one overall team in the nation with a 29-3 overall record and are likely on their way to being a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Sampson has been a journeyman over the years, head coaching for five different teams in his career. Sampson hasn't yet won a Naismith Coach of the Year Award, but he has made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances in his career, with a 19th on the horizon.

Dan Hurley, UConn

Connecticut v Georgetown

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley is another heavy favorite for the Naismith Coach of the Year award this season. Hurley is on track for his fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth, commanding the Huskies to a 29-3 record this season.

Hurley began his head coaching career at Wagner in 2010 before taking the job at Rhode Island in 2012. He would spend six seasons at Rhode Island, seeing steady improvement every year. In an effort to turn the program back into a contender each season, UConn hired him in 2018. Hurley has done just that, going 29-3 this season and being the Big East regular season champions.

Josh Schertz, Indiana State

Indiana State v Purdue

Indiana State Sycamores' head coach, Josh Schertz, is not a familiar name on the Naismith Award watch list. However, Schertz has earned his spot as a finalist this season, leading his team to a 28-6 overall record and finishing as the Missouri Valley Conference regular season champions.

Since becoming the head coach at Indiana State in 2021, they have seen steady improvement each season under Schertz. A trip to the NCAA Tournament and being named the Naismith Coach of the Year would be an excellent opportunity for Schertz to prove why he deserves to be a household name in college basketball.

T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State

Iowa State v Brigham Young

The Iowa State Cyclones entered the season unranked and seemingly not on anyone's radar. Their head coach, T.J. Otzelberger, quickly turned heads and propelled the Cyclones into the top 25. Iowa State awaits Baylor in the semi-finals of the Big 12 Tournament with an overall record of 25-7 this season.

Following two seasons at UNLV, Otzelberger was hired by the Cyclones in 2021. He has led Iowa State to the NCAA Tournament in every season since then, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in his first year.

Matt Painter, Purdue

Purdue v Indiana

Matt Painter has a long coaching history that dates back to his days as an assistant at Washington & Jefferson in 1993. He got his first head coaching job at Southern Illinois in 2003 before becoming the associate head coach at Purdue the next season. Despite the success Painter has found at Purdue, he has never won a Naismith Coach of the Year Award.

He was promoted to head coach of the Boilermakers in 2005, making him one of the longest-tenured coaches on the Naismith Coach of the Year finalist list. Purdue's record currently sits at 29-3 this season after finishing the regular season as the top team in the Big Ten for the second season in a row.

Kyle Smith, Washington State

Stanford v Washington State

Washington State is in middle of one of the program's most successful seasons in its history. The Cougars head coach and Naismith Coach of the Year Award finalist Kyle Smith has led his team to a 24-8 record this season, finishing the regular season in second place in the Pac-12 behind Arizona.

Smith was hired by the Cougars in 2019 after serving as the head coach at Columbia and San Francisco. He is on track to make his first NCAA Tournament appearance this season after competing in the NIT Tournament the last two seasons.

Danny Sprinkle, Utah State

San Jose State v Utah State

Danny Sprinkle led the Utah State Aggies to the top of the Mountain West Conference this season. Utah State finished as the 18th-ranked team in the nation with a record of 27-5. After losing the second game of the season to Bradley, the Aggies went on a 15-game win streak.

Sprinkle was hired as the head coach at Montana State in 2019, where it would take him just two seasons to turn the Bobcats into an NCAA Tournament team. He went 81-43 during his time at Montana State, winning the Big Sky Conference championship last season.