Dennis Gates named Naismith Coach of Year semifinalist
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mizzou Men's Basketball's leader has been recognized as one of the top coaches in the country.
Dennis Gates was selected as a semifinalist for Naismith Coach of the Year, per an announcement from Naismith Awards. He is one of 10 head coaches in contention for the prestigious honor.
Gates has guided the Tigers to one of the most impressive turnarounds in college basketball. After suffering a winless 2023-24 conference campaign, Mizzou became the first program in SEC history to win double-digit league games in the following season.
MU was picked to finish as the No. 13-ranked team in the SEC standings in this year's media poll, but under Gates' leadership, the Tigers ended the regular season in seventh place with 10 conference wins. Mizzou has also already posted 22 overall victories, becoming just the third team in program history to reach 20 wins in a single season in the last decade.
You can find a full list of the award's semifinalists below.
- Dennis Gates (Mizzou)
- Todd Golden (Florida)
- Tom Izzo (Michigan State)
- Pat Kelsey (Louisville)
- Grant McCasland (Texas Tech)
- Ben McCollum (Drake)
- Bruce Pearl (Auburn)
- Rick Pitino (St. John's)
- Kelvin Sampson (Houston)
- Jon Scheyer (Duke)
Four finalists for Naismith Coach of the Year will be announced on March 24, and the winner will be revealed on April 6.
