SAN ANTONIO, Texas - UMass Dartmouth's
Brian Baptiste has been named the recipient of the 2025 Jack Bennett Man of the Year award, which is presented annually to a non-division I coach who wins with integrity on and off the court, as announced by CollegeInsider.com on Thursday.
Coach Baptiste has built an extraordinary career and legacy at UMass Dartmouth over the course of 42 years at the helm of the men's basketball program. Baptiste has garnered an overall record of 729-405 for a .643 winning percentage while also owning a 333-183 mark in conference action. Among active head coaches in NCAA Division III, Baptiste boasts the most victories with 729 to date. Additionally, Baptiste ranks 10
th overall all-time in total wins by a head coach in Division III while also sitting 13
th overall among active coaches across all divisions.
"I'm honored to receive this award," said Baptiste. "It makes you feel appreciated in all the effort you've put into your job over the years. It's nice to know that the most important thing is the players that I've coached appreciated what I did. I think that is the biggest honor about receiving this award."
"We are thrilled that Coach Baptiste is being honored at the national level for his contributions to men's basketball," said UMass Dartmouth Director of Athletics
Lori Hendricks. "It is well deserved. His career makes visible our Champions Culture where integrity matters as much as performance. I am grateful for Coach's commitment to our student-athletes, alumni, and South Coast community."
Throughout his tenure at UMass Dartmouth, Baptiste has guided the Corsairs to 12 total Little East Conference (LEC) Championship titles along with 14 berths into the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament. In just his third season as head coach, Baptiste led the team to the Elite 8 during the 1986 NCAA Tournament. In 1993, he brought the team to the Final Four marking the furthest in program history the team has reached in postseason play.
"I've always felt like I'm blessed to do what I do," continued Baptiste on the key to longevity and success at UMass Dartmouth. "I go to work every day, and I've never felt like I am going to a job. I'm doing something that I'm very motivated about and feel positive about what I do. It hasn't felt like a difficult job; it's something that I enjoy doing every day."
When asked about what message this award sends to his players, fellow coaches, and the UMass Dartmouth community, coach Baptiste said, "If you're blessed and you can do something that you really enjoy, I think you'll be good at it because you really look forward to doing it. I hope that the players understand that even though it's difficult at the time when I'm coaching them…I just want them to feel that I am there for them to try and help them to get through whatever it is that they are going through. I think foremost, if they keep that in mind and understand that, then that's what I'm trying to achieve to send that message through them and that I'm just here to help them get better."
"For more than four decades at UMass Dartmouth,
Brian Baptiste has instilled in his players essential life skills and the virtues of honorable competition," said Rick Boyages, Executive Director at CollegeInsider.com and former VP of Men's Basketball for the Big Ten Conference. "The consummate teacher/coach, Brian's leadership and reputation as one of New England's all-time great hoop coaches transcend his 700+ wins and dozens of league titles and postseason berths. He is the perfect choice for the Jack Bennett Award."
