NCAA Basketball: Picking each league’s Coach of the Year for 2023-24 season

Atlantic Sun: Corey Gipson (Austin Peay)

There’s not too much variance near the top of the standings in the A-Sun, causing our attention to quickly turn towards Gipson and this Austin Peay squad. A former player and assistant for the Governors, this is Gipson’s first year as head coach after spending last year helming Northwestern State in the Southland with success. The Governor were picked by the media to finish 11th in the A-Sun this year.

Sitting at 15-13, not only have these Governors already exceeded last year’s win total, but have nearly tripled their wins in A-Sun play, currently tied for third at 8-5 in the league. Gipson manufacturing a great turnaround in his lone season at Northwestern State and has another nice turnaround on his hands. Austin Peay has won five straight games and seem to be playing their best ball at the right time.

America East: Phil Martelli Jr. (Bryant)

This award could be given to John Becker of Vermont nearly every season but it’s hard to ignore what’s happening down in Rhode Island. Jared Grasso was placed on leave right before the season began, thrusting Martelli into the interim head coaching role. That role would become permanent when Grasso resigned and Martelli was given the top job, and the Bulldogs’ play this season has supported that.

They were expected to have a decent year, but it’s still surprising to see the Bulldogs sitting at 9-3 and in second place in the America East. The job that Martelli has done after stepping into his first head coaching position under such terms has been incredible. The Bulldogs do have a tough stretch to finish the season, but he’s more than proven his value to this program in a tumultuous first year.