Winner to be Revealed at 2018 Men’s Final Four in San Antonio

ATLANTA (February 23, 2018) – Today, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the 10 coaches in the running for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year. Using this list of 10, the Naismith Awards master voting academy will identify the four finalists, to be announced on March 15. The Werner Ladder Naismith Trophy for Men’s College Coach of the Year will be announced on during the Naismith Awards brunch April 1 at Pearl Stable in San Antonio, Texas.

Fans will be able to vote for their favorite coach by visiting naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 19-30 to cast their ballot, which will account for five percent of the final tally.

“In such a wildly competitive season, these 10 coaches have proven their mettle and have positioned their teams for a magical March run,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Our voters will be challenged to select four from this group, since they are all very deserving.”

“Werner is excited to help recognize the hard work and dedication of these talented coaches again this year,” said Chris Filardi, vice president of marketing at WernerCo. “This group of semi-finalists represent the best in coaching and leadership.”

NAME SCHOOL CONFERENCE Rick Barnes Tennessee SEC Chris Beard Texas Tech Big 12 Tony Bennett Virginia ACC Brad Brownell Clemson ACC Mick Cronin Cincinnati AAC Chris Holtmann Ohio State Big 10 Chris Mack Xavier BIG EAST Matt Painter Purdue Big 10 Bruce Pearl Auburn SEC Jay Wright Villanova BIG EAST

ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB

Celebrating 50 Years of the Citizen Naismith Trophy

Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, which have become the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Players of the Year. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Coaches of the Year, Boys’ and Girls’ High School Basketball Players and Coaches of the Year, Basketball Officials and Outstanding Contributors to the game. Celebrating its 50th year by honoring past winners, the Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969. Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1983.

ABOUT WERNER LADDER COMPANY

WERNER, a WernerCo brand, is the world leader in ladders and has a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, step stools, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, WERNER provides a full line of climbing equipment that’s engineered to provide maximum safety, durability and productivity at every height. For more information, visit www.wernerco.com/us.

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Media Contact:

Traci Messier

Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club

[email protected]

404-214-3596