Hugh Durham Award Release

BOSTON, Mass. – After leading the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team to a 12-2 start, head coach Mark Montgomery has been named recipient of the Hugh Durham Award mid-season honors.  

NIU started the season 7-0, the best start to a season since 1994-95 and the third-best unbeaten start in school history; the Huskies’ 11 non-conference wins are the most for the program since the 1971-72 season. On Jan. 2 against Judson, Montgomery collected his 50th career victory, becoming the ninth head coach in school history to reach the 50-win plateau.

The Huskies, who were picked to finish fifth in the Mid-American Conference West Division preseason poll, opened conference play with an 80-69 win over Ohio on Wednesday night (Jan. 6); the win was NIU’s 12th-straight at home, setting a new school record.

The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the nation's top mid-major coach. The award is named in honor of Hugh Durham who had retired at the end of the 2004-05 season. Durham is one of just twelve coaches to have led two different programs to the NCAA Final Four (Florida State in 1972 and Georgia in 1983). He is the only coach among that group to have led both schools to their lone Final Four appearance.

Montgomery and the Huskies return to action on Saturday, Jan. 9, as they host Eastern Michigan. The contest is the second game of a doubleheader with the NIU women’s basketball team hosting Eastern Michigan at 5 p.m., followed by the men’s game at approximately 7:30 p.m.