HOUSTON, TX -- For the second consecutive year, an HBCU coach has won the CollegeInsider.com Ben Jobe Award, presented annually to the top minority coach in Division I men's basketball.Ford
Last year UMES head coach Bobby Collins was recognized. This year the award went to Tennessee State's Dana Ford.
Ford, 31, is the youngest Division I coach, and led the Tigers to one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA history, going from 5-26 in 2014-15 to 20-11 in 2015-16. It was just the third 20-win season at the Division I level. The Tigers also made their first postseason appearance since 2012.
The Ben Jobe Award is presented annually to the top minority coach in division I men's basketball. An icon in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Jobe is best known as the head coach of the Southern University, a position he held for 12 seasons.
His record at Southern was 209-141 and included four NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached the Jaguars to one NIT appearance, five SIAC championships, 11 SWAC titles and two NAIA Tournament Championships. Perhaps his most memorable moment as a coach was Southern's 93-78 win over Georgia Tech in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament. It stands as one of the great upsets in the history of the event.