Baylor's Drew, Dayton's Grant among 4 Naismith Coach of the Year finalists
Baylor head coach Scott Drew, San Diego State's Brian Dutcher, Dayton's Anthony Grant, and Florida State's Leonard Hamilton were named the four finalists for the 2020 Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year award Wednesday.
Drew led Baylor to a 15-3 record in Big 12 play this season and 26-4 overall. The Bears were the top-ranked team nationally for five straight weeks and ranked within the top five in 10 consecutive polls.
Dutcher led the Aztecs through a 26-game undefeated streak to start the season, making them the country's last undefeated team before finally falling to UNLV on Feb. 22. San Diego State finished the season 30-2, the best record in its history, and 17-1 against Mountain West Conference foes.
Grant, the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, steered Dayton to a perfect 18-0 mark within its conference and a 29-2 record overall. The Flyers also went on a 20-game winning streak to finish the regular season.
Florida State went 16-4 against the Atlantic Coast Conference en route to an overall 26-5 finish. Both are record marks for the Seminoles.
None of the four finalists have previously won the award.
The Naismith Trophy also announced its finalists for Player of the Year on Tuesday: Kansas center Udoka Azubuike, Iowa big man Luka Garza, Seton Hall guard Myles Powell, Oregon guard Payton Pritchard, and Dayton forward Obi Toppin.
The winners for both categories will be announced April 3.