Dixon

PITTSBURGH Pitt coach Jamie Dixon was named the Naismith men's coach of the year after leading the Panthers to a school-record 31 wins and the NCAA tournament regional finals.

The sixth-year head coach also guided Pitt to its first- top seed in the tournament and the school's first No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25.

Led by the standout trio of seniors Sam Young and Levance Fields, and sophomore center DeJuan Blair, the Panthers fell short of the Final Four after a loss to Villanova on a last-second layup by Scottie Reynolds.

The award is presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, which announced the winner Tuesday. Other finalists were Oklahoma's Jeff Capel, LSU's Trent Johnson and Kansas' Bill Self.