ROSWELL, Ga. – Drake men's basketball head coach Ben McCollum has been named a semifinalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Watch List presented by AXIA Time, the Naismith Awards announced this morning. McCollum is one of 10 head coaches from five different leagues included on the list.
 
McCollum has made an immediate impact in his first season leading Drake. He guided the Bulldogs to a school-record 30 victories, while sweeping the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and post-season tournaments en route to the school's eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, including the third straight year.
 
Picked to finish fifth in the MVC preseason poll, Drake won a school-record 17 conference games en route to winning the regular-season title by two games. McCollum became the ninth first-year coach to win the championship in his first appearance in the MVC Tournament. He was also named the MVC Coach of the Year for the 2025 season.
 
McCollum enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament ranked No. 5 on the all-time collegiate coaches list in winning percentage (.818) with his 424-94 career coaching record.
 
2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Semifinalists
Dennis Gates l Missouri
Todd Golden l Florida
Tom Izzo l Michigan State
Pat Kelsey l Louisville
Grant McCasland l Texas Tech
Ben McCollum l Drake
Bruce Pearl l Auburn
Rick Pitino l St. John's
Kelvin Sampson l Houston
Jon Scheyer l Duke
 
McCollum and the Bulldogs await their NCAA Tournament destination when the bracket is revealed on the Selection Show Sunday at 5 p.m. (CT) on CBS.