SIUE men’s basketball Head Coach Brian Barone has been named a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award by CollegeInsider.com.
The award is presented annually to the Division I coach who wins with integrity on and off the court.
Barone has led the Cougars to 20 wins for the first time since transitioning to Division I status in 2008. SIUE finished 13-7 in Ohio Valley Conference, establishing a new school record for OVC wins and earning the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament.
The Cougars will face off with either Lindenwood or Tennessee State in Friday’s semifinal.
The Skip Prosser Man of the Year award honors those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity on and off it as well.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
Barone is one of 25 finalists nationally, and the only finalist from the OVC.
“Whenever you’re in position to be nominated for any award like this, it is because of the people you are surrounded by and that’s the team and the coaching staff that I have,” Barone said. “From a personal standpoint, to have my name mentioned with Coach Prosser means a lot. I have a lot of respect for him. My dad and him were close. I was able to play against him when we (Marquette) were in the NIT when he was the coach at Xavier. In no way would I say I’m at his level, but I’m honored to be a finalist for an award which represents him.”
The 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
