Columbia men’s basketball head coach Kevin Hovde has been named a finalist for the 2025-26 Joe B. Hall Award, according to an announcement from CollegeInsider.com. The award is given each year to the top first-time head coach in Division I college basketball.
In his debut season leading the Lions, Hovde has achieved a 16-11 record as the team prepares for its season finale against Harvard. Columbia ranks among the top programs nationally in rebounding statistics, holding the 10th-best rebounding margin in the country and placing within the top 40 for both rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game. In Ivy League play, Columbia leads with 157 offensive rebounds and also tops conference teams in field goal percentage defense at 43.0%.
This season marks Columbia’s first winning record since 2015-16, when the team finished 25-10 and won the Collegelnsider.com Tournament. At that time, Hovde served as an assistant coach under Kyle Smith.
The Joe B. Hall Award honors longtime Kentucky head coach Joe B. Hall, who succeeded Adolph Rupp at Kentucky and led his team to a 20-8 record, an SEC title, and an NCAA Regional Finals appearance in his first season. Hall coached Kentucky from 1972 to 1985, compiling a record of 297-100, earning four SEC Coach of the Year awards, winning a national championship in 1978, reaching two additional Final Fours, securing eight regular-season SEC titles and one conference tournament championship.
The award recipient is selected by a committee of ten members that includes current and former head coaches along with senior staff from CollegeInsider.com. The winner will be announced in Indianapolis during the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
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