A lot has been made of the amazing job Steve Fisher has done turning San Diego State in to a nationally-ranked basketball program and annual NCAA Tournament participant. Fisher has long been one of the most respected coaches in the nation. Now he's being recognized as one of the best.
Fisher won the 2015 Legends of Coaching award on Friday night. Winners are selected based on character, success on the court, graduation rates of student-athletes and coaching philosophy. This award does not go to just anybody.
The first recipient was North Carolina’s Dean Smith in 1999. In 16 seasons at SDSU, Fisher has guided the Aztecs to eight NCAA tournament appearances, 11 postseason berths overall, nine Mountain West championships and 11 seasons of at least 20 wins, including the last 10 years running.
The full list of honorees reads like a, "Who's Who" of college basketball coaches:
Legends of Coaching Award Winners
2015 Steve Fisher, San Diego State
2014 Tara VanDerveer, Stanford
2013 Bill Self, Kansas
2012 Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
2011 Tom Izzo, Michigan State
2010 Billy Donovan, Florida
2009 Rick Barnes, Texas
2008 Pat Summitt, Tennessee
2007 Gene Keady, Purdue
2006 Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
2005 Jim Calhoun, Connecticut
2004 Mike Montgomery, Stanford
2003 Roy Williams, Kansas
2002 Denny Crum, Louisville
2001 Lute Olson, Arizona
2000 Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
1999 Dean Smith, North Carolina
Congratulations to Coach Fisher and the Aztecs.
