Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Pat Flannery Honored with 2006 Hugh Durham Award
4/6/2006 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 6, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell's Pat Flannery has won the 2006 Hugh Durham Award as the top "mid-major" coach of the season, it was announced by CollegeInsider.com. Flannery led the Bison to a second straight record-setting season, including a 27-5 overall record and a first-ever unbeaten (14-0) Patriot League mark. Bucknell captured the Patriot League title for the second straight year and defeated Arkansas to advance to the NCAA Tournament second round for the second straight year.
Flannery, who also received the Hugh Durham mid-season honors, grabbed nine first place votes and received a total of 65 points, edging George Mason's Jim Larranaga and Wichita State's Mark Turgeon, who finished tied for second with 32 points each. The voting was completed on March 12, prior to the start of the NCAA tournament.
"This is such a great honor," said Flannery. "To receive an award named after such a great coach like Hugh Durham is truly an honor. This award could have gone to a number of very deserving coaches. I want to thank Joe (Dwyer), Angela (Lento) and the entire voting panel for this award."
Previously known simply as the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award, it was renamed in March 2005 to recognize the legendary Hugh Durham, who retired from the profession.
"Pat embodies all that is good about college basketball," said voting panel member and CollegeInsider.com editor-in-chief Joe Dwyer. "He wins and his players graduate. Pat Flannery has always been all about class and dignity. This award couldn't go to a better person."
In 2005-06 Flannery upped his career record to 294-194 and his Bucknell ledger to 199-151. With 12 seasons under his belt at Bucknell he is the school's second longest-tenured head coach, only behind his own former coach, Charlie Woollum. Flannery also ranks second on Bucknell's all-time wins list, behind Woollum's 318 (1975-94).
Since Flannery took over the coaching reins from Woollum in 1994, the Bison have continued their storied history of success on the hardwood. In his very first season back at his alma mater he led the Orange and Blue to an 11-3 conference record. Two years later the Bison appeared in the Patriot League championship game, falling to Navy by just one point on the Midshipmen's home floor. Bucknell returned to the Patriot League title game in 1999, this time suffering a tough four-point defeat at Lafayette, but the Bison finally broke through in 2005 with their thrilling championship game win at Holy Cross.
All told, the Bison have posted winning or even conference records in 11 of Flannery's 12 seasons at Bucknell, and he sports a league-record 105-51 (.673) mark in Patriot League play. Flannery has guided the Bison to at least the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament in 10 of 12 seasons.
Not to be overlooked, Flannery's team led all members of the 2006 NCAA Tournament field with a 100 percent graduation rate, and his program's performance in the NCAA's Academic Performance Rate indicator was well above the national average. In addition, the Bison set a school attendance record at Sojka Pavilion this season, featuring eight sellouts and the top 10 single-game attendances in program history.
Northern Arizona's Mike Adras (31) and former UNC-Wilmington head coach Brad Brownell (29) round out the top five in the Hugh Durham Award voting.
