BOSTON – University of Denver men's basketball first-year head coach Tim Bergstraser has been named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, given annually to the top first-time head coach in Division I college basketball, CollegeInsider.com announced on Wednesday.
 
Bergstraser led the Pioneers to a 15-16 regular season and a tie for fourth place in the Summit League in his first campaign in charge of the Pioneers. Under his leadership, Denver finished 8-8 in the Summit League regular season, Denver's first league campaign at .500 or better in eight years, which also marked the program's last top-four finish in the league standings.
 
After getting the job on April 14, 2025, Bergstraser recruited 11 new players to the Pioneers roster, including four from his previous job at Minnesota State Moorhead (DII). One of those four, Carson Johnson, was named the Summit League's Player of the Year on Tuesday.
 
Denver enters Friday's Summit League Quarterfinal against North Dakota winners of five of their last seven. Prior to the regular season finale, Denver had won five games in a six-game stretch for the first time in league play since the Pioneers' first season in the Summit League in 2014.
 
In addition to Johnson's impressive campaign, the Pioneers have spread the ball around the floor as seven different players have combined for 40 different 20-plus point games this year, ranking second in the country in that category behind only BYU (45). Denver's offense is first in the league and 37^th in the country at 83.3 points per game entering the postseason. The Pioneers' scoring average is the program's highest at the top level of college basketball since 1975-76 (88.9).
 
Bergstraser's men have won six road games this year against teams that have combined for a 58-22 record at home against the rest of their schedule. Amid the 32^nd most difficult non-conference schedule in the country according to KenPom's December rankings, the Pioneers earned road wins at Colorado State and at Northern Colorado, making Denver the only team in the state to go unbeaten against in-state opponents this season. Bergstraser's first season is also Denver's first with wins over Colorado State and Northern Colorado in the same season since 2003-04.
 
The recipient of the annual award is 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, IN, site of the men's Division I Basketball Championship.
 
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.
 
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