Dwyer & Pappas Honored as Top High School Coaches in the Nation
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the winners of the 2016 Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball. This prestigious award is named after Morgan Wootten, who served as the Head Coach of DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsvile, Maryland for 46 years and is one of two high school coaches enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The annual award recognizes two outstanding high school coaches, one for boys’ basketball and one for girls’ basketball.
The 2016 winner of the Morgan Wootten Award for boys’ basketball is Bob Dwyer from Archbishop Carroll High School (Washington, DC). Dwyer coached for 26 years at Archbishop Carroll and St. Anselm's - previously known as Priory School - before retiring in 1981. From 1958-1960, his teams at Archbishop Carroll won 55 games in a row, while becoming the first fully integrated team in the Washington area Catholic league. Dwyer is remembered as a founding father of the Catholic Youth Organization in the Washington Area and the originator of the Priory Tournament in 1948, which is now the longest running high school tournament in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Both Dwyer and Wootten were elected into the inaugural class of the Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame.
The 2016 winner of the Morgan Wootten Award for girls’ basketball is Dr. Anthony Pappas from Waterloo West High School (Waterloo, IA). Pappas has served as a Head Coach for 38 years, with 35 of them being at Waterloo West. He has an overall coaching record of 540-345 and has guided his team to seven state tournament appearances, six Final Fours and two runner-up finishes. He has coached many successful players, sending 23 athletes to Division 1 universities. Pappas was selected to coach the McDonald's All-American Game in 2011 and was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association State Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.
“I’m pleased to recognize these two inspirational coaches,” said Morgan Wootten, the award’s namesake and five-time High School National Champion. “Coach Dwyer motivated countless players and coaches in the Washington community, including myself. Coach Pappas has undoubtedly had a tremendous influence on the basketball community as well.”
“Bob Dwyer and Dr. Anthony Pappas have certainly had an impact in the high school basketball community on both the local and national level,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “While their teams have had remarkable success on the court, these men have stressed the importance of preparing players for life off the court as well. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame applauds them for their efforts.”
The Morgan Wootten Award winners were selected by a nationally based committee comprised of Hall of Famers, national high school media members, tournament directors and others who have significantly impacted the game. Morgan Wootten will present the awards at the Basketball Hall of Fame Luncheon on March 30 in Chicago, IL.
Previous boys’ basketball award winners include Harvey Reid (Ralph L. Fike High School, NC), Gary McKnight (Mater Dei, CA), Vito Montelli (St. Joseph High School, CT), Jack Curran (Archbishop Molloy, NY), Joe Gallagher (St. John’s College, DC), Ralph Tasker (Hobbs High School, NM), Robert Hughes (Fort Worth Dunbar, TX) and Bob Hurley, Sr. (St. Anthony’s, NJ).
Previous winners of the girls’ basketball award include Joe Lombard (Canyon High School, TX), Thednall Hill (Hardy Highland, AR), Sandra Meadows (Duncanville High School, TX), Leta Andrews (Granbury High School, TX), Jim Smiddy (Bradley Central, TN), Dorothy Gaters (Chicago Marshall, IL), Rick Insell (Shelbyville, TN) and Gene Klinge (West Central of Maynard, IA).
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
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