April 6, 2007

CONTACT: Rick Leddy, NABC Public Relations Director
Ricknabc@gmail.com
203-815-2437

ATLANTA, Ga. (April 1, 2007) - Todd Lickliter of Butler University has been selected as the Division I Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

Lickliter received his award Sunday evening in Atlanta at the AT & T/NABC Awards Show at the Sidney J. Marcus Auditorium. The award was presented by IUPUI head coach Ron Hunter, a member of the NABC board of directors.

With his team picked to finish sixth in the Horizon League's preseason poll, Lickliter wasted little time in disproving that poll, guiding his team to the NIT Season Tip-Off championship. After wins over Notre Dame and Indiana on consecutive nights, Butler's Bulldogs topped #22 Tennessee and #23 Gonzaga to take the crown. Butler also tipped Purdue, starting the season with 10 straight wins.

The Horizon League Coach of the Year for the second straight season, Lickliter led the Bulldogs to a school record 29 wins and a five seed in the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs kept their momentum, topping Old Dominion and fourth-seeded Maryland before losing a tough game to Florida in the Sweet 16.

In six seasons at Butler, his alma mater, his teams have an overall record of 131 wins and 61 losses with two Sweet 16 appearances. Lickliter also owns the top three single season win totals in Butler history.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.