Mitch Henderson Named Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Finalist

CollegeInsider.com Release

BOSTON – Franklin C. Cappon-Edward C. Green '40 Head Coach Mitch Henderson was named one of 20 finalists for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball.

Also named 2024 Ivy League Coach of the Year, Henderson guided Princeton to an outright Ivy League title, a No. 2 seed in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), a 24-4 record which includes a perfect 12-0 record at home and a victory over Big Ten opponent Rutgers. Currently ranked No. 25 in the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), Princeton has received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll for 13 weeks and the Associated Press (AP) Poll for nine weeks in 2023-24, Henderson's seventh season of least 20 wins. According to ESPN.com analytics, the Tigers' strength of record ranks No. 41 nationally.

Under Henderson's leadership, the Tigers became the first DI program in the last 15 years to start 5-0 with four true road wins. Princeton was also the only team in the nation to play, and win, each of its first seven games in a different venue. The Tigers have been road warriors, as their winning percentage on the road of 78.6% ranks seventh in the nation.

Princeton players have flourished under Henderson's guidance, with sophomore Caden Pierce named Ivy League Player of the Year, unanimous First Team All-Ivy, First Team All-District and to the Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List. Pierce was joined as a unanimous First Team All-Ivy and First Team All-District selection by sophomore Xaivian Lee, who was also named to the Lute Olson and Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch Lists. Senior Matt Allocco was tabbed Second Team All-Ivy League, and senior Zach Martini Academic All-Ivy League.

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.

He built national programs at Florida State where he holds the record for best winning percentage with a 230-95 (.708) record in 12 years. And at Georgia where he is also the all-time winningest coach in the 99-year history of the Bulldog program, having won 297 games in 17 seasons.

Durham coached Florida State and Georgia to a combined eight NCAA Tournament appearances, and 2 Final Fours. He is one of 17 coaches to take multiple teams to the Final Four.

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