Jan. 4, 2024
BOSTON, MA -- James Madison University head coach Mark Byington is the recipient of the Hugh Durham award ‘Mid-Season’ honors.
James Madison (13-0) entered 2024 as one of just three remaining unbeaten teams in college basketball. The fast start moved the Dukes into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in school history. JMU has spent eight straight weeks in the Top 25, debuting at No. 24 and climbing as high as No. 18.
James Madison also moved to No. 1 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25®. It’s the first time since the 2015-16 season that a school other than Gonzaga was ranked No. 1 during the regular season.
"It should not have taken this long for people to figure out that Mark Byington can really coach," said Angela Lento, Vice President College Insider, Inc. "He did a lot with a little at Georgia Southern and turned around a struggling program. Now he’s leading James Madison to new heights. One of the best people in the business, Mark Byington is a program builder."
Currently No. 32 in the NET, James Madison climbed as high as 24 on Dec. 20, which is the highest in school history.
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 8 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 2 Final Fours. He is one of 17 coaches to take multiple teams to the Final Four.
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 annual 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 2024 award will be announced in Phoenix, AZ, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
2023: Amir Abdur-Rahim, Kennesaw State
2022: Robert Jones, Norfolk State
2021: Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M
2020: Steve Forbes, ETSU
2019: Darian DeVries, Drake
2018: Ryan Odom, UMBC
2017: Rod Barnes, CSU Bakersfield
2016: James Jones, Yale
2015: Brian Katz, Sacramento State
2014: Tony Jasick, IPFW
2013: Danny Kaspar, Stephen F. Austin
2012: Eddie Payne, USC Upstate
2011: Rick Byrd, Belmont
2010: Mike Young, Wofford
2009: Todd Bozeman, Morgan State
2008: Keno Davis, Drake
2007: Greg Marshall, Winthrop
2006: Pat Flannery, Bucknell
2005: Bob Thomason, Pacific