Mike Brey and Lisa Bluder among four recipients of the Lapchick Award
This year, the Joe Lapchick Character Award will be awarded to Mike Brey, James Jones, Lisa Bluder, and Ernie Johnson.
Brey holds the record as the most successful coach in Notre Dame’s history, having spent 23 years at the institution. He achieved 483 of his 582 career victories while at Notre Dame, guiding the team to 13 NCAA tournament appearances and two journeys to the Elite Eight.
In 2015, Notre Dame achieved a 32-6 record and advanced to the Elite Eight after defeating Miami, Duke, and North Carolina to secure the ACC tournament title. The 2011 AP Coach of the Year previously coached at Delaware before taking the position at Notre Dame.
Jones is currently in his 27th season at Yale, amassing 418 wins, which ranks as the second highest in Ivy League history. He has steered the Bulldogs to five NCAA tournament appearances, achieving victories over Baylor in 2016 and Auburn in 2024, along with nine postseason qualifications.
He was honored with the Ben Jobe Award in 2019 as the leading minority coach in Division I men’s basketball and has a record of 108-32 in the Ivy League over the last decade leading up to this season.
Bluder enjoyed an impressive 40-year coaching career, with the last 24 seasons spent at Iowa. She concluded her career in 2024 after guiding the Hawkeyes to consecutive national championship game appearances while coaching Caitlin Clark. With 894 wins, she ranked third among active coaches at the time of her retirement.
In 2019, she was named the Naismith Coach of the Year and has received the Big Ten Coach of the Year award three times. Bluder was also the recipient of the Carol Eckman Coaches Award in 2016, which is presented annually to a coach who demonstrates sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and dedication to student-athletes.
Bluder is recognized as the most successful coach in Big Ten history, with a record of 528-254. She began her coaching journey as the head coach at St. Ambrose University for six seasons (1985-90), leading the Bees to two NAIA Final Four appearances. She then spent a decade at Drake before moving to Iowa.
Johnson is the veteran host of “Inside the NBA,” which has transitioned to ESPN. He has received eight national sports Emmys as a leading studio host and has been involved in the coverage of the men’s NCAA tournament for the past 15 years.
In 2023, he was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In addition to basketball, Johnson has also covered baseball, golf, and the Olympics.
This marks the 18th year that the award will be given to individuals who embody the character traits of Lapchick, who coached at St. John’s and with the New York Knicks. The four honorees will be celebrated at a luncheon on September 18 in New York.
