BOSTON, Mass. – UC Irvine head men's basketball coach Russell Turner was named a finalist for the 2024 Hugh Durham Award.
 
The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the nation's top mid-major coach. This marks the third time in Turner's career he has been named a finalist for the honor. 
 
In his 14th year, Turner is UC Irvine's winningest coach in school history with a 289-179 record. Turner ranks fourth in the Big West coaching ledger in career wins, league wins (161), and conference tournament game victories (26). He currently sits second in the Big West in active career wins.
 
Turner has led the Anteaters to nine 20-win campaigns over the last 11 seasons and has averaged over 20 wins a year at UCI.
 
He has turned UC Irvine into a championship program, leading the Anteaters to their seventh Big West regular season title in the last ten seasons.
 
Under his leadership, UCI is currently nationally ranked in field goal percentage defense (27th, .408), scoring margin (29th, 9.9), field goal percentage (30th, .478), assists per game (42nd, 15.7), rebound margin (40th, 4.9), and free throw percentage (45th, .755). The Anteaters also topped the Big West this season in four statistical categories including scoring offense (77.7), scoring defense (67.8), scoring margin (9.9), and assists per game (15.7).
 
UCI concluded the regular season with a 24-9 overall record and 17-3 mark in the Big West. The 'Eaters continue their season with a postseason appearance in the NIT against Utah tonight at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2.
 
The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the nation's top mid-major coach. In eight seasons as the head coach at Jacksonville University, Durham became the Dolphins' all-time winningest Division I coach (106 wins), making him the only coach in NCAA history to be the winningest coach (pct. or wins) at three different Division I schools.
 
He built national programs at Florida State where he holds the record for best winning percentage with a 230-95 (.708) record in 12 years. And at Georgia where he is also the all-time winningest coach in the 99-year history of the Bulldog program, having won 297 games in 17 seasons.
 
2024 HUGH DURHAM AWARD FINALISTS
John Becker, Vermont
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's
Mark Byington, UC Irvine
Chris Casey, Fairfield
Darian DeVries, Drake
Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon
Mitch Henderson, Princeton
Alan Huss, High Point
Donnie Jones, Stetson
Greg Kampe, Oakland
Dustin Kerns, Appalachian State
Phil Martelli Jr., Bryant
Bucky McMillan, Samford
Eric Olen, UC San Diego
Josh Schertz, Indiana State
Patrick Sellers, Central Connecticut State
Russell Turner, UC Irvine
Will Wade, McNeese
Sundance Wicks, Green Bay