Butler coach Chris Holtmann has been named a finalist for the 2017 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award. The 20 finalists were announced on Monday (March 27).

Holtmann, the 2016-17 BIG EAST Coach of the Year, led the Bulldogs to a 25-9 record, including a 12-6 mark in BIG EAST play. After being picked sixth in the BIG EAST preseason poll, the Bulldogs finished second. Butler advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. Holtmann's Bulldogs have made the NCAA Tournament and won at least one game in the tournament in each of his three seasons in charge of the team.

Holtmann was also a finalist for the award in his first season as head coach at Butler, 2014-15.

The Jim Phelan Award is presented annually to the top coach in division I men's basketball. Phelan led Mount Saint Mary's University to the 1962 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship. When he retired in 2003, after coaching for 49 years, he had amassed 830 wins (overall record of 830-524) in all divisions. In those 49 years, 19 of his teams amassed 20 or more wins in a season.

The recipient of the 2017 Phelan Award will be announced in Phoenix, Ariz., site of the men's NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.


THE 2017 JIM PHELAN AWARD FINALISTS

Steve Alford	UCLA
Dana Altman	Oregon
Rod Barnes	CSU Bakersfield
John Becker	Vermont
John Calipari	Kentucky
Chris Collins	Northwestern
Kermit Davis	Middle Tennessee
Johnny Dawkins	UCF
Jamie Dixon	TCU
Mark Few	Gonzaga
Mitch Henderson	Princeton
Chris Holtmann	Butler
Kevin Keatts	UNC Wilmington
Frank Martin	South Carolina
Matt Painter	Purdue
Josh Pastner	Georgia Tech
Richard Pitino	Minnesota
Bill Self	Kansas
Mike White	Florida
Roy Williams	North Carolina