The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today the 15 men's basketball coaches for its late-season watch list for the Werner Ladder Naismith Trophy for Men's Coach of the Year. The list will be narrowed down to 10 semifinalists on March 6 and four finalists on March 18, leading up to a winner being named on April 5.
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The Big East and Big Ten lead the conferences in representation with three coaches, followed by the ACC and Big 12 with two. In total, eight different conferences are represented.
Tennessee's Rick Barnes won the award last season, while Gonzaga's Mark Few is the only former winner to make the late-season list this year after the Bulldogs finished the 2016-17 regular season with a 32-1 record.
| NAME | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Chambers | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Scott Drew | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Brian Dutcher | San Diego State | Mountain West |
| Mark Few | Gonzaga | WCC |
| Anthony Grant | Dayton | Atlantic 10 |
| Leonard Hamilton | Florida State | ACC |
| Bob Huggins | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Ben Jacobson | Northern Iowa | Missouri Valley |
| LaVall Jordan | Butler | Big East |
| Chris Mack | Louisville | ACC |
| Greg McDermott | Creighton | Big East |
| Bruce Pearl | Auburn | SEC |
| Steve Pikiell | Rutgers | Big Ten |
| Brad Underwood | Illinois | Big Ten |
| Kevin Willard | Seton Hall | Big East |
