Wed Apr 9 17:43:52 2008

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Calipari named coach of the year

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Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - University of Memphis men's head basketball coach John Calipari was named the 2007-08 Naismith National Coach of the Year by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club on Wednesday.

The announcement comes on the heels of the Tigers' magical season that saw the squad go 38-2 -- an NCAA Division I record for most wins in a season -- and set a school mark by opening the season with 26 straight wins. The team also altered Memphis' record books as it stayed in the top two spots in the national polls for 16 consecutive weeks, then advanced all the way to the NCAA national title game before a 75-68 overtime loss against Kansas.

The Tigers have gone 104-10 in the past three seasons -- all under Calipari -- which ties the school record for the most wins in a three-year span in Division I history. Memphis also captured a Conference USA title in each of those three seasons.

Calipari also earned Coach of the Year honors while at UMass in 1995-96. The Minutemen advanced to the Final Four that season. His career record is 412-136 and Monday's championship game was Memphis' first since 1973.