Prosser Award | Jobe Award
 
BOSTON, Mass. – Missouri State men's basketball head coach Dana Ford was announced as a finalist for two of the nation's top coaching awards this week. Ford is one of 25 finalists for both the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award and the Ben Jobe Award.
 
The Skip Prosser Man of the Year award honors those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity off the floor as well. The Ben Jobe Award is presented annually to the top Division I minority coach.
 
Joining Ford on the list of Skip Prosser Man of the Year finalists are:
 
Casey Alexander (Belmont), Chris Beard (Texas Tech), Mike Boynton (Oklahoma State), Wayne Brent (Jackson State), John Dunne (Marist), Leonard Hamilton (Florida State), Lew Hill (UTRGV), Chris Holtmann (Ohio State), Michael Huger (Bowling Green), Donte' Jackson (Grambling), Mike Jones (Radford), Robert Jones (Norfolk State), Pat Kelsey (Winthrop), Tod Kowalczyk (Toledo), Greg Lansing (Indiana State), Shantay Legans (Eastern Washington), Carmen Maciariello (Siena), Bob Marlin (Louisiana), Ryan Odom (UMBC), Lamont Paris (Chattanooga), Mark Schmidt (St. Bonaventure), Rob Senderoff (Kent State), Todd Simon (Southern Utah), Byron Smith (Prairie View A&M).
 
The other finalists for the Ben Jobe Award are:
 
Mike Boynton (Oklahoma State), Wayne Brent (Jackson State), Kevin Broadus (Morgan State), Isaac Brown (Wichita State), Dennis Gates (Cleveland State), Leonard Hamilton (Florida State), Lew Hill (UTRGV),  Shaheen Holloway (Saint Peter's), Juwan Howard (Michigan), Stan Johnson (Loyola Marymount), Terrence Johnson (Texas State), Mike Jones (Radford), Robert Jones (Norfolk State), Will Jones (North Carolina A&T), Rob Lanier (Georgia State), Shantay Legans (Eastern Washington), Mike Magpayo (UC Riverside), Bashir Mason (Wagner), Ritchie McKay (Liberty), Lamont Paris (Chattanooga), Richie Riley (South Alabama), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), Shaka Smart (Texas), Byron Smith (Prairie View A&M).
 
Ford previously was the national recipient of the Jobe Award in 2016 during his tenure as head coach at Tennessee State.
 
The 2021 winners of both awards will be announced on April 1.
 
Ford helped guide the Bears to a 17-7 season in 2020-21 which culminated in a 12-6 finish in the Missouri Valley Conference and third-place finish. The Bears also matched a program high water mark with a 7-2 ledger in Valley road games this season.