Butler's Lickliter tabbed for Mid-Season Coach Of The Year Recognition

Jan. 4, 2007

Indianapolis, Ind. - Butler head coach Todd Lickliter has been tabbed for mid-season honors in the balloting for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award, presented by CollegeInsider.com. Lickliter more than doubled the point total of runner-up Ben Howland of UCLA in the mid-season vote.

Lickliter, who has guided Butler to a 13-1 record and a No. 13 national ranking in both the A.P. and ESPN/USA Today polls, received 75 total points, including nine first place votes, from the 20-person committee charged with selecting the Jim Phelan Award. Howland picked up two first place votes and 37 total points, while Sean Sutton of Oklahoma State received one first place vote and 31 points. A total of 23 coaches, including Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, Bob Knight of Texas Tech and Thad Matta of Ohio State, received votes in the mid-season balloting.

Last year, Billy Donovan of Florida received mid-season honors from CollegeInsider.com, while Howland was presented with the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award at the Final Four in Indianapolis.

The CollegeInsider.com Coach of the Year award was renamed in honor of Jim Phelan, who retired as head coach of Mount St. Mary's at the end of the 2002-03 season. The Jim Phelan Award is presented annually to the National Coach of the Year at the end of the season. Previous winners include Howland (2006), Tubby Smith of Kentucky (2005), Phil Martelli of St. Joseph's (2004) and Mark Slonaker of Mercer (2003).

Story provided by Butler University Office of Sports Information