Dawkins Earns National Coach-of-the-Year HonorDawkins Earns National Coach-of-the-Year Honor
Matthew Richards / UCF Athletics

Dawkins Earns National Coach-of-the-Year Honor

by Jenna VanHoose

ORLANDO – UCF men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins was named the recipient of the 2026 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award, announced Thursday morning.

The Jim Phelan Award is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I head coach. The recipient is selected by a 10-member voting committee consisting of current and former head coaches, along with two senior staff members from CollegeInsider.com.

“I don’t think enough has been made about the job Johnny Dawkins did this season at UCF. He assembled a roster that included some good players from mid-major programs and had a terrific season in the best conference in college basketball. If UCF won just a few more games, Johnny Dawkins would have been a finalist for every head coaching award."

Angela LentoVice President of College Insider, Inc. and member of the Jim Phelan award voting panel

Dawkins guided the Knights to one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2025-26, as UCF finished 21-12 and earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. The 21 victories secured back-to-back 20-win seasons for the Knights.

In just its third season in the Big 12 Conference, UCF posted a program-best nine conference wins, finishing 9-9 in league play.

The Knights had three wins against AP Top 25 teams, with victories over No. 17 Kansas, No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 19 BYU. They swept Texas A&M in a home-and-home series and won at Colorado to win a total of five Quad 1 games.

UCF was one of only two teams, joined by Miami, to make the tournament without any returning scoring production from last season. Since 2007, UCF is now one of only three teams to make the tournament without bringing back any scoring production (UCF and Miami 2026, and Kentucky 2025).

The award is named in honor of Jim Phelan, a legendary coach who spent his entire career at Mount St. Mary's University. Phelan led the Mountaineers to the 1962 NCAA Division II national championship and retired in 2003 after 49 seasons with 830 career victories and a 830-524 overall record. He coached 19 teams that recorded 20 or more wins.

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About UCF AthleticsUCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.