SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Bethune-Cookman's Ryan Ridder is the recipient of the 2018 Joe B. Hall Award, which is presented annually to the top first-year coach in Division I college basketball.

Picked to finish ninth in the 13-team MEAC, Ridder led the Wildcats to the second most overall wins in school history. The team finished 12-4 in the MEAC and earned a share of the regular-season league title.

"This was the perfect hire for Bethune-Cookman," said CollegeInsider.com's Angela Lento. "Ryan's teams enjoyed a lot of success on the court and in the classroom at Daytona State. He knows the area and he is a proven winner."

The Wildcats finished 18-13 overall and posted eight road wins, which was the second-most in the program's history. The 18 wins are tied for the most by a first-year coach at Bethune-Cookman.

This season, the Wildcats broke numerous school records and featured the MEAC Player of the Year, Brandon Tabb, and Defensive Player of the Year, Soufiyane Diakite, increased B-CU's RPI rating by over 60 points, and while being hired on Mar. 31, 2017, maintained a 1000 APR to finish 2016-17 academic year while signing six new student-athletes for 2017-18.

The award is named in the honor of Joe B. Hall who was given the task of following the legendary Adolph Rupp. In his first season at the University of Kentucky, Hall finished 20-8, won the SEC and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.

From 1972 to 1985, Hall won two-thirds of his games (297-100), received four SEC Coach of the Year honors and won the 1978 national championship. Along with the 1978 title, Hall also guided Kentucky to a runner-up finish to UCLA in the 1975 NCAA Tournament, a Final Four appearance in the 1984 NCAA Tournament and an NIT championship in 1976.

He won eight SEC regular-season championships and one SEC tournament championship (1984).

Hall is one of only three men to win an NCAA championship as a player (1949- Kentucky) and coach (1978- Kentucky). The only others to achieve this feat are Bob Knight and Dean Smith.

2018 JOE B. HALL AWARD FINALISTS
Pat Baldwin, Milwaukee
Mike Boynton, Oklahoma State
Mike Hopkins, Washington
Donte' Jackson, Grambling
Shantay Legans, Eastern Washington
Jack Owens, Miami
David Padgett, Louisville
Barret Peery, Portland State
Bob Richey, Furman
Ryan Ridder, Bethune-Cookman