Emory University Men's Basketball Head Coach Jason Zimmerman has been named the 2026 Whack Hyder Georgia Men's College Coach of the Year as presented by The Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Zimmerman has guided his Eagles to the Division III National Championship game for the first time in program history which caps the program's most successful season as Zimmerman has led his team to a school-record 27 wins with an overall record of 27-3. This is the fourth time he has won this award doing so previously in 2013, 2016 and 2020. This also marks the fourth postseason honor for Zimmerman this season as he has been recognized as the University Athletic Association Coach of the Year as well as regional and district honors from both D3hoops.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Under Zimmerman's guidance this year, the Eagles have seen two players achieve All-America honors from D3hoops.com in seniors Ben Pearce and Jair Knight, the first set of teammates to be All-Americans in the same season, as well as three All-UAA selections in Pearce, Knight and junior Ethan Fauss. Furthermore, Pearce has put together the greatest senior season in program history as he became the first Emory male recipient of the Jostens Trophy and was tabbed as the D3hoops.com National Player of the Year.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Awards family, annually recognizes the most outstanding men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include AXIA Time, Jersey Mike's, MOLECULE, and Werner Ladder.
