Smith, Hurley Look for Repeat as Atlanta Tipoff Club Names Naismith High School Coach of the Year Finalists
Bob Hurley (2008) of St. Anthony High School and Steve Smith (2009) of Oak Hill Academy take on five newcomers in the boy’s category, while coaches from five different states compete in the girl’s.
ATLANTA (Feb. 14, 2012) – Two former winners and nine newcomers will vie for this year’s Naismith High School Boy’s and Girl’s Coach of the Year Awards, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Bob Hurley (2008) of St. Anthony High School and Steve Smith (2009) of Oak Hill Academy take on five newcomers in the boy’s category, while coaches from five different states compete in the girl’s.
The finalists were chosen by leading basketball journalists from around the country who form the national voting academy and identify players and coaches under consideration for these awards. The winners will be recognized by the Atlanta Tipoff Club at its season-ending Naismith Awards Banquet presented by AT&T and Newell Rubbermaid, March 22, 2012 at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta.
“The geography represented by this year’s finalists pool really suggests that boy’s and girl’s prep basketball excellence can be found anywhere in America,” said Eric Oberman, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We’re excited to see all of the finalists in the home stretch of their seasons and anticipate down-to-the-wire competition to name a Naismith winner.”
The Naismith High School Coach of the Year Award has been presented since 2008.
| 2012 Naismith High School Boy's Coach of the Year Finalists |
| NAME |
SCHOOL |
HOMETOWN |
| Steve Smith |
Oak Hill Academy |
Mouth of Wilson, VA |
| Bob Hurley |
St. Anthony High School |
Jersy City, NJ |
| Steve Turner |
Gonzaga College High School |
Washington, DC |
| Robert Smith |
Simeon Career Academy |
Chicago, IL |
| Joe Auer |
Wichita Heights High School |
Wichita, KS |
| Danny Henderson |
Marcus High School |
Flower Mount, TX |
| |
|
|
| 2012 Naismith High School Girl's Coach of the Year Finalists |
| NAME |
SCHOOL |
HOMETOWN |
| Diane Richardson |
Riverside Baptist School |
Upper Marlboro, MD |
| Curtis Ekmark |
St. Mary's Catholic School |
Phoenix, AZ |
| Brian Rush |
Clarksville High School |
Clarksville, TN |
| Anthony Smith |
Bolingbrook High School |
Bolingbrook, IL |
| Phyllis Arthur |
McEachern High School |
Powder Springs, GA |
