NEW ORLEANS – Arkansas State men’s basketball head coach Ryan Pannone has been named a finalist for the 2025-26 Joe B. Hall Award which is presented annually to the top first-time head coach in NCAA Division I college basketball.
 
In his debut campaign leading the Red Wolves, Pannone guided the program to a 20-11 regular season record and a tie for second place in the Sun Belt Conference standings. Arkansas State returned no players from last year’s roster that reached the Sun Belt championship game, yet Pannone assembled a team that led the conference with 83.2 points per game.
 
The recipients of the Joe B. Hall Award are determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
 
The 2026 award will be announced in Indianapolis, Ind., the site of this season’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four.
 
About The Joe. B Hall Award
The Joe B. Hall award is named in honor of longtime Kentucky head coach Joe B. Hall who was given the task of following the legendary Adolph Rupp at the school. In his first season, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.
 
2025-26 Joe B. Hall Award Finalists
Clint Allard, UC San Diego
Bill Armstrong, McNeese State
Tim Bergstraser, Denver
Matt Braeuer, Stephen F. Austin
Kevin Carroll, Lipscomb
Zach Chu, Radford
Flynn Clayman, High Point
Ali Farokhmanesh, Colorado State
Kevin Giltner, Wofford
Kevin Hovde, Columbia
Jai Lucas, Miami (Fla.)
Ryan Miller, Murray State
Ryan Pannone, Arkansas State
Jon Perry, Navy
Nolan Smith, Tennessee State
Charlie Ward, Florida A&M