LOS ANGELES — Rick Byrd, who retired in 2019 after leading Belmont to eight NCAA tournament appearances, will receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.
His selection was announced by Craig Impelman, Wooden’s grandson-in-law, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Tuesday. Byrd will receive the award in April.
He coached Belmont in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1986 to 2019. He then retired with 805 career victories, including 658 at Belmont, which ranks 12th all-time among NCAA Division I men’s coaches. The Bruins won 10 conference championships and seven league tournament titles in his final 14 seasons.
The Legends of Coaching Award honors coaches who exemplify Wooden’s standard of success and personal integrity.
Previous winners include Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, Tara VanDerveer, Bill Self, Geno Auriemma, Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski.