BOSTON, Mass. (March 4, 2025) – CollegeInsider.com announced the finalists for the 2024-25 Hugh Durham award on Tuesday, naming North Alabama head coach Tony Pujol to the list. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball.
The Hugh Durham award is named in honor of the former Florida State, Georgia and Jacksonville head coach. In eight seasons, at Jacksonville University, Durham became the Dolphins' all-time winningest Division I coach (106 wins), making him the only coach in NCAA history to be the winningest coach (pct. or wins) at three different Division I schools.
Pujol is in his seventh season at North Alabama, taking over the program at the start of the transition from Division II to Division I in 2018. He is the program's only Division I coach. The 2024-25 season is the best in those seven years, as Pujol's squad won the Atlantic Sun Conference Regular Season Championship.
The Lions are currently 23-9 overall and finished 14-4 in conference play — both of which are Division I bests for the program. UNA is currently in the ASUN Semifinal Round and will play Jacksonville at home on Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m. The winner will go on to the championship game Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m.
The transition to Division I has not stopped the growth of the program the last seven years, as Pujol has a record of 101-112 overall and 56-59 in conference play despite playing a full slate of more-established Division I programs each season. Since coming out of the four-year transition period, UNA has won at least 15 games in each of the last three seasons.
With the regular season championship this year, UNA was able to host its first postseason game since 2017 and the first at the Division I level. That resulted in a 90-64 win over Austin Peay on Monday. Pujol is 4-6 in ASUN tournament games over the last seven seasons, including a run to the ASUN championship final in 2021 where UNA was slightly defeated 79-75 at Liberty.
Coaches of teams in the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Coastal Athletic, CUSA, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt, WAC, West Coast.
The recipient of the 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.
The 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site of the men's Division I Basketball Championship.
Hugh Durham Award Finalists
Lennie Acuff Lipscomb
Randy Bennett Saint Mary's
Alvin Brooks Lamar
Chris Crutchfield Omaha
John Dunne Marist
Brian Earl William & Mary
John Groce Akron
Ray Harper Jacksonville State
Alan Huss High Point
Kevin Johnson Southern
James Jones Yale
Robert Jones Norfolk State
Chris Markwood Maine
Ben McCollom Drake
David McLaughlin Dartmouth
Ritchie McKay Liberty
Eric Olen UC San Diego
Todd Phillips Utah Valley
Tony Pujol North Alabama
Ritchie Riley South Alabama
Patrick Sellers Central Connecticut State
Pat Skerry Towson
John Tauer St. Thomas
Andy Toole Robert Morris
Will Wade McNeese
PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS: Josh Schertz, Indiana State (2024); Amir Abdur-Rahim, Kennesaw State (2023); Robert Jones, Norfolk State (2022); Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M (2021); Steve Forbes, ETSU (2020); Darian DeVries, Drake (2019); Ryan Odom, UMBC (2018); Rod Barnes, CSU Bakersfield (2017); James Jones, Yale (2016); Brian Katz, Sacramento State (2015); Tony Jasick, IPFW (2014); Danny Kaspar, Stephen F. Austin (2013); Eddie Payne, USC Upstate (2012); Rick Byrd, Belmont (2011); Mike Young, Wofford (2010); Todd Bozeman, Morgan State (2009); Keno Davis, Drake (2008); Greg Marshall, Winthrop (2007); Pat Flannery, Bucknell (2006); Bob Thomason, Pacific (2005).
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
