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UB Coach Bobby Hurley Nominated for For the Joe B. Hall Award

Coach Hurley takes UB to another level as a rookie head coach and is going to be honored for it. He is in the running for the Joe B. Hall award, which is given to the nation's top first-year head coach. He will be competing again 10 other coaches across Mid Major programs.

By Kevin Massare

When Bobby Hurley took over for long tenured coach Reggie Witherspoon, many were unsure of how the results would turn out. I know there were a few other names that were rumored to be interviewing for the job here at UB but in the end Danny White saw Bobby Hurley as the leader he needed at UB.

When Hurley was hired I remember talking to my colleagues when he was hired about the choice. Many thought Hurley might be in over his head as a head coach at a large Mid-Major program in an established conference. I remember wanting Bruce Pearl, I thought Danny White deserved to go out and get a "name" coach. However, I was quickly wrong.

I remember hearing Hurley on a conference call with Jim Rome on network radio, and I was immediately impressed . He is a smart guy who is networked into the "coaches guild". You see Hurley talking to the big name coaches in college basketball every chance he gets. He is always networking. He is beginning to put the University at Buffalo on the basketball map. Maybe coach could work on getting us into a bigger conference? Who knows, but that is the kind of thing that a well established coach can bring to a program.

I would love to see our Hurley lead Bulls in the American Conference.

Hurley was rumored to be interested in the Virginia Tech opening which was immediately shot down by coach himself. Via Twitter. He is here to stay.

On the 25th of this month Hurley was nominated for the Joe B. Hall Award. The award is named in the honor of Joe B. Hall who's first year coaching saw him replace the legendary Adolph Rupp. In his first season at the University of Kentucky, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.

Although coach Hurley didn't show up with a winning game plan against zone playing EMU in Cleveland, Hurley still won the MAC East division straight up for the first time in school history. What do you say? Should Bobby Hurley win the Hall award against the 9 coaches listed below? Is Javon McCrea and Shannon Evans and a 19-10 record enough to beat out the others? I'll let you decide.

2014 Joe B. Hall Award Finalists

  1. Mike Brennan - American
  2. Tim Craft - Gardner-Webb
  3. Pat Duquette - UMass-Lowell
  4. Robert Jones - Norfolk State
  5. Dan Majerle - Grand Canyon
  6. Nicholas McDevitt - UNC Asheville
  7. Craig Neal - New Mexico
  8. Brad Underwood - Stephen F. Austin
  9. Will Wade - Chattanooga

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