As we enter the final month of the regular season, the race for ACC Coach of the Year picture is like exposed film from a camera: impossible to look at. I can make a case for a few coaches who deserve the award. The record may not indicate it, but what they've done given what is on the roster may be something which should be paid attention to. If I were to nominate coaches, here is who I would put on my list:
Tony Bennett, Virginia When we made our predictions at the beginning of the season, I did vote Bennett as my Coach of the Year, but he has done better than even I, as a close follower of UVA, has expected. And while I don't subscribe to the theory that Virginia will always play games close, it should be noted that the four losses Virginia has suffered this season are by a combined 10 points. In other words, they are one made shot per game away from being 22-0. Three of the four losses are understandable (the Virginia Tech loss hurts the most to me), and you have gone 2-0 on the west coast, and have allowed over 60 points four times this season, you should be in the mix. This is going to sound weird, but losing Assane Sene has hurt the Cavaliers, but it's more from a size stand point. His value isn't in numbers.
Leonard Hamilton, Florida State If there's a person who should be dubbed as the "Giant Killer" in the ACC this season, Hamilton would be the guy. He basically made Roy Williams quit a game 14 seconds early, beat Duke in Durham on a last second three pointer, and beat Virginia. And this is despite being swept by the two Ivy League teams on their schedule (Harvard and Princeton). This is proof that you should let a season play out before making any judgments on how a coach has done. This team is really gelling at the right time. They've won seven in a row (and have beaten the three teams mentioned).
Mark Gottfried, NC State If you have ever read my work dating back to the days of when I wrote for ACC Nation, you knew that I was not a fan of Sidney Lowe at all. If not, then I said that Sidney Lowe was a bad hire from day one. I was a little skeptical on the Gottfried hire, and even though I though he would do better than what Lowe did, he has exceeded what I though he could do. The Wolfpack are on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament according to a lot of "bracketologists," and with a big win or two, will be in the field of 68. In my opinion, they have only one really bad loss (Georgia Tech at home) on their resume. They Wolfpack have a three game stretch in coming up from February 16-21 that might determine whether or not they are a NCAA Tournament team (at Duke, home for UNC and FSU). Either way, this season has been a success for the Wolfpack.
