Niekamp Named NABC National Coach of the Year

Head coach Ron Niekamp of The University of Findlay men's basketball team was tabbed the NCAA Division II National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coach of the Year on Sunday, April 5 at the Final Four in Detroit, Michigan.

Niekamp and the Oilers finished the year with a perfect 36-0 record, which included the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championship. The 36-0 mark is the best ever for a national champion at the NCAA Division II level.

The 24-year veteran who has amassed a record of 550-174 during his tenure with the Oilers, was also selected as the 2009 NABC Midwest Region Coach of the Year and the 2009 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Coach of the Year.

Overall, Niekamp has earned regional coach of the year honors three times (2009, 2007, 2005) and has been named the top skipper in the GLIAC on five occasions (2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003).

Niekamp was also selected as the top coach in the country by the Division II Bulletin and the Basketball Times during the Oilers historic season.