Top-Notch Coaches Named Naismith Trophy Coach Of The Year Finalists

Top-Notch Coaches Named Naismith Trophy Coach Of The Year Finalists

Five top-notch coaches were named 2017 Naismith Trophy Coach of the Year finalists on February 16.

Feb 17, 2017 by Brett Regan
Top-Notch Coaches Named Naismith Trophy Coach Of The Year Finalists
From insane dunks to killer crossovers, social media timelines are routinely flooded with highlights from top high school stars. What you don't see, however, are the men who guide them in the locker room and on the sidelines. Coaches need love, too, and deserve a lot of credit. On Thursday, five of the best were announced as 2017 Naismith Trophy Coach of the Year finalists.

The award will be announced on March 8.

What makes these five leaders great? Let's break it down.

STEPHAN GILLING
School: Chino Hills
Current Top 25 Rank: 9
Record: 27-1
Star Player: LaMelo Ball (2019)

Say what you want about the loose style of play that has created an offensive juggernaut, or whether or not LaMelo Ball's 92-point outburst earlier this month was good basketball, but the Huskies know how to win. That fact cannot be disputed. After all, it took a hard-fought effort on Feb. 4 by historic Oak Hill to snap Chino Hill's 60-game winning streak dating back to the 2014-15 season. Gilling's style accepts mistakes and the occasional half-court shot for perhaps no reason, but it works. The player's embrace it, and it's hard to knock it because it gets the job done.

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SHANE HEIRMAN
School: La Lumiere School (IN)
Current Top 25 Rank: 3
Record: 24-1
Star Player: Brian Bowen (2017 Flo40 No. 16)

If a team truly is the reflection of its coach, La Lumiere is the perfect example. Heirman is young, energetic and has fun but is intense, tough and demanding. It's the ideal culture -- a great mix of tough love -- and everyone on the Lakers, from the stars to the players celebrating on the end of the bench, buys in. They thrive off of it, too. Add in a great mind for the game in how to attack opponents, and there's good reason to believe Heirman will be on this list for many, many years to come. 



TY NICHOLS
School: Sierra Canyon (CA)
Current Top 25 Rank: 2
Record: 25-1
Star Player: Marvin Bagley III (2018 Flo40 No. 1)

Call it traditional. Call it old school, if you must. While Nichols might not be demonstrative on the sidelines or run crazy plays, he is simply one of the best prep coaches in the business. What he doesn't show off in flare, he beats you with precision, with execution, with toughness, and with talent. The Trailblazers have a special team this season, with four seniors and the nation's best junior in the starting five, and Nichols has orchestrated it masterfully. Sierra Canyon plays some of the best basketball on both ends of any team in the country, and the guy at the helm is a big reason the Trailblazers are so locked in.



BRANDON ROY
School: Nathan Hale (WA)
Current Top 25 Rank: 1
Record: 23-0
Star Player: Michael Porter Jr. (2017 Flo40 No. 1)

A true player's coach in the purest sense, Roy has completely burst onto the scene in his first season with the Raiders in impression fashion, to put it mildly. Sure, it helps having the best player in America leading the charge with a great supporting cast but taking a 3-18 squad to being the nation's No. 1 team is no joke and one of the biggest turnarounds you'll ever see. As a three-time NBA All-Star, Roy knows the game so well and delivers it in incredible fashion to players at this level. He just gets it and can relate. His players intently listen, and they continue to grow under his leadership. Roy has a bright future ahead of him in this role, and he's just getting started.



VINCE WALDEN
School: IMG Academy 
Current Top 25 Rank: 4
Record: 24-1
Star Player: Trevon Duval (2017 Flo40 No. 5)

Armed with one of the deepest and most athletic teams in the country, Walden meshed an incredibly talented group of individuals and created a superstar team. That's what great coaches do, and he has been as good as any coach this season. Walden is a premier motivator who teaches discipline. His squad breeds toughness while adding power and flash. The Ascenders are a relentless powerhouse that's always in attack mode because of Walden's intense style, and they are one of the hardest teams to beat when they click on all cylinders under his watch.