PHOENIX, Ariz. - Green Bay's Sundance Wicks is the recipient of the 2024 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year award, which is presented annually to the top rookie, first-year head coach in Division I college basketball. 

Green Bay coach Sundance Wicks is this year's winner of the Joe B. Hall Award, given annually to the top rookie, first-year head coach in Division I college basketball.  Wicks injected energy into a downtrodden program, orchestrating an improvement of 15 wins from the previous season. Green Bay finished 18-14 overall and 13-7 in the Horizon League, tying for third in the regular season. 

Wicks, 43, made seven coaching stops before landing in Green Bay, and in his first season all of his experience helped the Phoenix improve more than 100 spots in adjusted offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com, upgrading their overall rating from 361st to 230th.

"Sundance Wicks delivered in his first year in Green Bay," said James Wilhelmi, Executive member of CollegeInsider.com and Senior Analyst.  "He orchestrated one of the best turnarounds in the history of the Horizon League.  His unique approach and positive demeanor carried over to his players and the overall community resulting in much bigger home crowds and the Phoenix winning 500% more games than the year before.  He is very deserving of the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year award."
The Joe B. Hall award is named in honor of longtime Kentucky head coach Joe B. Hall who was given the task of following the legendary Adolph Rupp at the school. In his first season, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC, and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.

Hall coached the Wildcats from 1972 to 1985. He won two-thirds of his games (297-100), received four SEC Coach of the Year honors, and won a National Championship in 1978. He also steered the program to two other Final Fours, and won eight Southeastern Conference regular season championships and one Southeastern Conference tournament championship (1984).

Coach Hall passed away on January 15, 2022. The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com. 

2024 JOE B. HALL AWARD FINALISTS
Adrian Autry                      Syracuse
Chad Boudreau                 Western Illinois
Chris Casey                       Fairfield
Aaron Fearne                    Charlotte
Ross Hodge                       North Texas
Bryan Hodgson                  Arkansas State
Alan Huss                          High Point
Matt Logie                          Montana State
Phil Martelli Jr.                   Bryant
Chris Mudge                      Sam Houston
Tevon Saddler                    Nicholls
 Jim Shaw                          Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Duane Simpkins                 American
Tony Skinn                          George Mason
K.T. Turner                          UT Arlington
SUNDANCE WICKS          GREEN BAY
 
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