BOSTON, Mass. – UMass Lowell Men's Basketball Head Coach
Pat Duquette has been named a finalist for 2023 Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award, as announced on Tuesday evening.
The Hugh Durham Award, which is presented annually to the top Division I mid-major coach in college basketball, is named after a coach who built winning programs at Jacksonville, Florida State and Georgia.
Duquette garnered his first ever America East Conference Coach of the Year nod already in 2022-23 at the conclusion of the regular season. In his 10th year at the helm, he has led the River Hawks to unprecedented success this season, leading the River Hawks to their first ever winning season of the Division I era, including a nine-game win streak from November 16-December 10. In addition to setting Division I program records with 26 overall wins so far and 11 America East wins, the River Hawks also set a new all-time program record for home wins with a perfect, 17-0 record in Lowell this season.
UMass Lowell finished the regular season atop the league standing in 10 different statistical categories and is currently ranked in the top 20 in the nation in five categories, including rebound margin (4th, +8.3), scoring margin (13th, +12.8), field goal percentage (13th, 48.7%), three-point percentage (14th, 38.6%) and blocks per game (20
th, 4.9). This year's second-place finish in America East play, and home quarterfinal and semifinal games were also firsts for the River Hawks. The team was ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time ever, as well, in 2022-23.
In the midst of a six-game win streak, Duquette and the River Hawks are now headed to their second America East Playoffs championship game appearance in three years when they trek to top-seeded Vermont on March 11.
Coaches of teams in the following conferences are eligible for the Hugh Durham 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 and West Coast.
The recipient of the 2023 award will be announced in March in Houston at the NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship.
