FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Head Men's Basketball Coach Sydney Johnson earned the attention of fans and his colleagues following the Stags' performance on the court in 2015-16. Johnson's list of accolades grew once again when CollegeInsider.com placed him on the list of finalists for the 2016 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award.
Named after the late Prosser, who died suddenly in 2007 while the head coach at Wake Forest, the award is presented annually to those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who also display moral integrity off of it as well. Prosser posted a career record of 291-146 in 14 seasons as a head coach at Loyola, Xavier and Wake Forest. During his time at Wake, Prosser's teams averaged 21 wins per season while playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Johnson led Fairfield to one of the best single-season turnarounds in Division I this year, ranking among the top five in the nation all season long. The Stags, who won seven games in 2014-15, posted a 19-14 record overall and a 12-8 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The team's win improvement was as high as third in the nation at different points this season.
“I am indebted to Fairfield University not only for allowing me to lead our men's basketball program to success on the court but also for supporting me in my desire to serve our students in positive and impactful ways across our campus,” Johnson said.
The Prosser Award also recognizes a coach's commitment to the community and his willingness to give back to individuals through his work off the court. Johnson was recently recognized for his efforts in the community by being named one of the recipients of Fairfield University's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Vision Award, presented to a faculty member, an administrator, a staff member or a student who demonstrate a commitment to the ideals and values of Dr. King.
Johnson helped mold the team's success in 2015-16 by adding the top scoring freshmen class in the MAAC, a group that averaged just over 33 points per game, with a group of veterans which included Marcus Gilbert, who finished his career as the number four scorer in program history. With the infusion of new talent into an experienced team, Johnson was able to lead the Stags to 19 wins this year, only the 10th Fairfield squad in the last 50 years to win that many games.
The 2016 recipient of the Skip Prosser Award will be announced on Monday April 4 in Houston, site of the men's NCAA division I men's basketball championship.
