Feb. 28, 2006

We are getting to the time of the season when awards are given out. There will be talk of player of the year, diaper dandy of the year, etc. What about the national coach of the year? There are plenty of viable candidates.

	DICKIE V'S COACH OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
	Karl Hobbs | G. Washington Thad Matta | Ohio State Bruce Pearl | Tennessee Bill Self | Kansas Roy Williams* | N. Carolina * winner

I find it unfortunate that guys like Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Calhoun will not get the necessary ballots due to expectations. That's just a way of life, that they don't get considered for those awards. They shouldn't be taken for granted, as they get their kids to play and respond in tough situations.

I feel that the coach of the year should go to someone who wasn't expecting a great season. When you looked at their preseason personnel, it was a year to rebuild. Hopefully their respective team would be competitive, but the expectation wasn't as high as a ranked team. My top five candidates have done an amazing job. They have exceeded all kinds of expectations.

Let's start by heading to Chapel Hill, where North Carolina's Roy Williams has done an incredible job after losing his top seven scorers from last season's national championship squad. Who would have ever believed after losing that much talent that the Tar Heels would be ranked and in the upper echelon of the ACC? I'm talking about one of the top-five conferences year in and year out! With almost a whole new cast, led by the best diaper dandy in America, Tyler Hansbrough, the Tar Heels have played brilliantly, especially on the road in the ACC.

Look at the job done by Bruce Pearl at Tennessee. He has created something special in Knoxville, where the enthusiasm and excitement are evident. Yes, he inherited a talented backcourt (C.J. Watson and Chris Lofton), but he has done a great job getting his kids to buy into his system and philosophy. The Vols play exciting fast-break basketball.

What about the job being done by Karl Hobbs at George Washington? When you post the numbers the Colonials are putting up (24-1, 14-0 A-10), you are doing something special! GW features a veteran cast that has taken everyone's best shot in the Atlantic 10 and has responded in a positive way.

Think about what Bill Self has done at Kansas. Earlier in the season, the Jayhawks were sitting at 3-4 and fans in Lawrence were wondering if a 16-year streak of making the Big Dance was about to end. Well, my friends, it has been "Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk" with the team back on track. Kansas went 17-3 in its next 20 games to become a contender in the Big 12. Self has done it with three freshmen and two sophomores in the starting lineup. Self has been doing magical things, getting young men to play winning basketball. The Jayhawks will be back in the Dance and they could be dangerous.

Ohio State fans are looking forward to next season when an incredible recruiting class featuring Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook come to Columbus. This season, Thad Matta has the Buckeyes contending in the Big Ten, and that is an amazing story. Terence Dials, Je'Kel Foster, J.J. Sullinger and Co. have wanted it badly this season, and it has been obvious with their work ethic. You never would have thought they would be the crème de la crème of the conference. Matta has had this team playing consistent basketball.

There you have it, five solid candidates. There are others who deserve a ton of credit for super seasons, guys like Jamie Dixon at Pittsburgh, Tom Crean at Marquette and Jeff Bzdelik at Air Force. The bottom line is, my choice for coach of the year goes to the man down at Chapel Hill. I never would have believed Williams could have this club in the top 20 in America.

I know Williams has done a brilliant job for years and years, both at Kansas and at North Carolina. I feel that what he has done this season is amazing. The future Hall of Famer, Roy Williams, is my pick for national coach of the year.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.