NEW ORLEANS – Stacy Hollowell, the coach that directed Loyola University to the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship, has been selected as the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Collegiate Coach of the Year for Louisiana.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, selects annual award winners in a variety of categories; it also selects Amateur Athletes of the Month and each year’s Hall of Fame class. Overall, 26 individuals and four teams will be honored for their 2021-22 achievements at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Awards Banquet on July 30. Honorees are currently being announced over a month-long period, wrapping up with the Corbett Awards for the top male and female amateur athletes in the state on July 25 and 26.
Hollowell directed the Wolf Pack to legendary status with one of the more memorable basketball seasons in New Orleans history and was rewarded with a host of national coach of the year honors – he was named the National Coach of the Year by the NAIA as well as the NABC and the Don Meyer NAIA National Coach of the Year.
Loyola capped its 37-1 season by winning its first NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship in 77 years. After winning the regular season and tournament titles in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), the Wolf Pack earned the No. 1 seed in the national tournament and justified that by cruising to six tournament wins (by an average of 20 points per game) – the championship victory was a dominant 71-56 decision over No. 2 Talladega. The 37 victories easily surpassed Loyola’s previous program record of 25 wins. Despite the impressive overall record, the team didn’t have an easy go of it during the season. It all started when Hurricane Ida ripped off a section of the school’s sports complex roof and damaged the team’s home court. The team spent the preseason practicing in Dallas before playing all of its early-season home games at Tulane’s Devlin Fieldhouse until a temporary floor was put in place to accommodate the rest of the regular season. On top of that, the program dealt with COVID-19 postponements, a tornado scare while on the road at Stillman College and food poisoning-like symptoms while in Kansas City. Hollowell was also selected as the SSAC Coach of the Year.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as the Louisiana College Coach of the Year,” said Hollowell. “This season our gym floor was damaged during Hurricane Ida. With our season in question, we had a group of guys that refused to give up on what they believed we could accomplish. What they achieved together is remarkable and will bond them together for the rest of their lives.”
The Allstate Sugar Bowl will continue announcing its annual awards next week as it reveals the 2022 Class of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame starting on Monday.
Jimmy Collins Special Awards: Loyola Men’s Basketball and St. Charles Catholic Athletic Department
Outstanding Boys’ Prep Coach of the Year, New Orleans: Wayne Stein, St. Charles Catholic Football/Baseball
Outstanding Girls’ Prep Coach of the Year, New Orleans: Becky Lambert, Archbishop Hannan Softball
Outstanding Female Amateur Athlete, New Orleans: Alia Armstrong, LSU Track & Field
Outstanding Male Amateur Athlete, New Orleans: Zach Wrightsil, Loyola Basketball
Eddie Robinson Award: Ronald “Hendu” Henderson
Outstanding Boys’ Prep Team, New Orleans: Brother Martin Bowling, LHSAA
Outstanding Girls’ Prep Team, New Orleans: Ponchatoula Basketball, LHSAA
Outstanding Collegiate Coach, Louisiana: Stacey Hollowell, Loyola Men’s Basketball
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Inductee: July 11 (Monday)
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Inductee: July 12 (Tuesday)
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Inductee: July 13 (Wednesday)
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Inductee: July 14 (Thursday)
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Inductee: July 15 (Friday)
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Inductee: July 18 (Monday)
Corbett Award – Female: July 25 (Monday)
Corbett Award – Male: July 26 (Tuesday)
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee began in 1957 when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month. In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class. While adding the responsibility of selecting Hall of Famers, the committee has continued to recognize the top amateur athlete in the Greater New Orleans area each month – the honors enter their 66th year in 2022. To be eligible, an athlete must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or must compete for a team in the metropolitan region.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 100 Hall of Fame players, 51 Hall of Fame coaches and 20 Heisman Trophy winners in its 88-year history. The 89th annual Sugar Bowl Classic is scheduled to be played on Saturday, December 31, 2022. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.2 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.
{Courtesy: release from the Allstate Sugar Bowl}