Harvard’s Amaker finalist for 2014 Ben Jobe Award

Harvard men’s basketball head coach Tommy Amaker has been named a finalist for the 2014 Ben Jobe Award, presented annually to the top minority coach in Division I men’s basketball.

This marks the fourth straight year that Amaker has been named a finalist for the award. The winner will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Banquet on April 4 in Dallas, site of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

Amaker led Harvard to a fourth straight Ivy League championship in 2013-14, making the Crimson the first Ancient Eight program to win four consecutive titles since Penn did so from 1993-96. With a 27-5 overall record, Harvard also became the first Ivy program to register five consecutive 20-win seasons since Penn did it a record six times from 1970-75.

The Crimson’s season concluded at the NCAA tournament where for the second year in a row it reached the third round. Harvard, the No. 12 seed in the East Region, advanced with a 61-57 win over fifth-seeded Cincinnati, and nearly upset fourth-seeded Michigan State to advance to the Sweet 16. This was the third straight trip to the Big Dance for the Crimson, and its fifth consecutive postseason appearance overall.

Among the many accomplishments of this year’s team, Harvard set new program records for wins in a season (27) and Ivy League wins (13), and matched the program mark for non-conference victories (14). The Crimson was rewarded with six selections to the All-Ivy League teams, equaling the conference record for most honorees in a season, including player of the year Wesley Saunders. Harvard also captured the 2013 Great Alaska Shootout tournament title along the way, and enjoyed an 11-1 record at home.