April 2, 2026

NAVY’S JON PERRY RECIPIENT OF 2026 HUGH DURHAM AWARD
The top head coach in mid-major college basketball 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Navy’s Jon Perry is the recipient of the 2026 Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year award, which is presented annually to the top head coach in mid-major college basketball.

Perry, who spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach at Annapolis, guided Navy to an overall record of 26-8, a Patriot League regular season title with a record of 17-1 and trip to the National Invitation Tournament.

“Jon Perry did an unbelievable job this season,” said Joe Dwyer, President of College Insider, Inc. and member of the Hugh Durham award voting panel. “Winning 26 games at the mid-major level is a tremendous accomplishment. Doing it at the Naval Academy is literally a once in a lifetime achievement. Salute to Coach Perry, his staff and his players for an historic season.”

The 26 wins are tied for second for the most by a Navy team and the Mids were just the second Patriot League team to finish 17-1 in the conference play. It was Navy's first outright regular season crown since 1997, the program's first national postseason tournament appearance since 1998 and just the second time the Mids have played in the NIT (1962).

The first-year head coach, who was also a finalist for the Jim Phelan and Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year awards, led Navy to its' first-ever ranking in the Mid-Major Top 25®. The Midshipmen were ranked No. 25 in the preseason poll and finished the regular season ranked No. 22.

This season Navy led the Patriot League and ranked fifth nationally holding teams to 63.3 points per game. The Mids were also first among league teams and 21st in the country in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 40% shooting. They were tops in the PL and 8th in the NCAA limiting opponents to 29.1% from beyond the arc.

Navy had several players receive All-Patriot League honors, led by Austin Benigni who was named Player of the Year. Aidan Kehoe earned Defensive Player of the Year and both he and Benigni were First-Team All-League selections. Donovan Draper joined Kehoe on the All-Defensive Team.

The 25 regular season wins are the most in Service Academy history and the 26 overall wins are the most by any Navy team that did not have David Robinson on the roster.

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.

  HUGH DURHAM AWARD FINALISTS

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
John Groce, Akron (2025); 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).

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Established in 1996, CollegeInsider.com has been at the forefront of promoting college basketball online. In the July 27, 1998, issue of ESPN the Magazine, College Insider was ranked No. 24 on the magazine’s list of 99 Things to do Before you Die. College Insider created the Mid-Major Top 25®, the measuring stick for men’s and women’s programs outside of the proverbial power leagues, and has 18 national awards presented annually, including the Lute Olson Award, Lou Henson Award, and the John McLendon Award. The CollegeInsider.com All-Access series has been nominated for 5 Emmy Awards and won 2013 Emmy, for its’ feature on New York City Basketball (Iona, LIU-Brooklyn and Manhattan). CI also created This Game No Secret, which debuted during the 2016 CIT and now has become an annual event, which has included programs like Duke, Houston, Miami, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas and Virginia.

NOTE: Portions of the press release came from Naval Academy releases.