BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WV News) — After advancing to back-to-back final fours as the head women’s basketball coach at Glenville State, Kim Stephens was voted the 2022-23 MEC Women’s Sports Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career. She was also named the Women’s Sports Coach of the Year in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2021-22.
Stephens and the Pioneers swept the MEC Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 2022-23 while compiling a record of 33-3.
The Pioneers went 20-2 in conference play and were unbeaten with a 13-0 record at home.
This winter, Glenville State also made their seventh-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the national semifinals before eventually falling to Ashland, 76-67.
GSU hosted the NCAA Atlantic Regional for the second-consecutive year and won the regional championship and a berth in the Elite Eight with an 88-63 victory over West Chester in the Atlantic Region Championship Game.
The Pioneers defeated the University of Tampa in the Elite Eight, 78-68.
The 30-win season was Stephens’ fourth during her tenure at Glenville State. Stephens was also named the MEC Coach of the Year in women’s basketball for the fourth time in her career.
She accepted the head women’s basketball job at Marshall this offseason.
The men’s award went to West Liberty’s Ben Howlett, the third year in a row that a Hilltopper head coach earned the honor.
Howlett led West Liberty to the NCAA Division II men’s basketball title game for the second time in school history back in March, finishing as national runner-up with a record of 33-4.
West Liberty also extended its postseason streak to 14-straight seasons and won the MEC Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 2022-23.
Howlett was named the Furfari Award winner as the West Virginia College Coach of the Year by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
This season, West Liberty led all of Division II in 3-point field goals per game (12.5), assists per game (21.9), and assist/turnover ratio (1.93), while also ranking second in the nation in scoring offense (99.6) and scoring margin (+18.8).
In addition, West Liberty’s 33 wins this season were the program’s most since a school record 34 wins set back in 2012-13. The Hilltoppers also secured their first 30-win season since 2015-16 (sixth in program history).
The MEC Men’s and Women’s Sports Coach of the Year are selected by a vote of institutional administrators and the conference office.
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