Geno Auriemma, Phil Martelli headline Joe Lapchick Character Award recipients
The Hall of Fame coach has a long-standing bond with Martelli back to when Auriemma was an assistant coach for him at Bishop Kenrick High School in Pennsylvania. Martelli recommended Auriemma for an assistant position at Virginia with Debbie Ryan, a job he held before getting the UConn position in 1986.
Advertisement
Martelli led Saint Joseph's for 24 seasons as the head coach, guiding the Hawks to seven NCAA Tournament appearances. His 2004 team made the Elite Eight after going undefeated in the regular season. Martelli's squad lost in the conference tournament to Xavier and then was beaten by Oklahoma State in the East Regional Final. He was the AP Coach of the Year that season and won 444 games in his career.
Steratore was a Division I men's basketball official from 1997-2018, working in the Big East, Big Ten, and Atlantic 10 conferences. He also worked two Sweet 16 games in the NCAA Tournament. Steratore also has been on CBS broadcasts during March Madness providing rule explanations. It's a role he's also done in the NFL. Steratore was an NFL official for 15 seasons.
McLaughlin served as Fordham's athletic director from 1985-2012 before being promoted to the role of associate vice president of student affairs for athletic alumni relations and external affairs/athletic director emeritus. He retired in 2023.
Before becoming an AD, McLaughlin was a college coach, leading the Harvard men's basketball team from 1977-85. The team went 15-9 in his final year there.
This is the 17th year the award will be presented to those who have shown the character traits of Lapchick, who coached at St. John's and with the Knicks. The quartet will be honored at a luncheon on Sept. 19 in New York.
Advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
UNC baseball gets Luke Stevenson replacement with transfer portal commitment
UNC baseball gets Luke Stevenson replacement with transfer portal commitment Can UNC's first baseball transfer portal commitment make an immediate impact in 2026? Georgia State transfer catcher Colin Hynek has committed to North Carolina. In 2025, he hit .230 with 18 HRs and 45 RBIs, leading the team in homers and ranking fourth in RBIs and total bases. He had a .586 SLG, .396 OBP, and 36 walks. — Chris Smith (@chrismithunc) June 7, 2025 The UNC baseball team is extremely lucky to have Luke Stevenson behind the dish, but his time in Chapel Hill is likely coming to an end after the current season. Stevenson, mocked to be a first-round pick in July's MLB Draft, is a do-it-all catcher. Stevenson is the Diamond Heels' top power source, mashing 19 home runs, while he's also a defensive stalwart with only two errors. With Stevenson likely gone in 2026, North Carolina needs an answer at catcher. UNC also carries Liberty transfer Macaddin Dye behind the plate, plus Juco transfer Rom Kellis, but wants to add another option. The Diamond Heels are hoping that their latest roster addition is their answer behind the dish. On Saturday, North Carolina secured a commitment from Georgia State transfer Colin Hynek, who started 105 of the 132 games he played in Atlanta. Like Stevenson, Hynek is also a power threat at the plate, mashing 33 home runs and driving in 91 runs across thre seasons. By coming to Chapel Hill, Hynek will have a significantly better shot at competing for a championship. Georgia State just completed a 26-30 campaign and hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2009, while UNC is playing in the Super Regional round for a second-consecutive season. If you're following recent transactions across college baseball, there's plenty of transfers already in the portal, particularly from the Virginia Cavaliers. The Diamond Heels will benefit from adding more starting pitching to their 2026 roster, while more hitting power couldn't hurt. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Patriots' Mike Vrabel Explains What Leadership Is to Him
Patriots' Mike Vrabel Explains What Leadership Is to Him originally appeared on Athlon Sports. New England Patriots' new head coach Mike Vrabel has always been known as a leader and culture builder in the NFL. When Vrabel got his first head coaching opportunity with the Tennessee Titans, he led them to four-straight winning seasons and three playoff appearances. Advertisement Vrabel's teams have always been built on grit and toughness, just as he displayed during his 14-year NFL career. Monday morning, Vrabel met with the media and was asked about the leadership of his quarterback, Drake Maye. But his response focused more on what he believes leadership is. "I don't think it matters if you're a quarterback or an offensive lineman or a running back or a defensive back. It's about your ability to reach certain players," Vrabel said. "We don't want to have any gaps. So hopefully, you know what to do, you're prepared, you do things the right way, you're a good listener, you can adapt to what happens and adapt to the people that you're talking to, maybe based on what they need." New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel (c) works with players at rookie camp at Gillette Canha-Imagn Images Vrabel is in the midst of a rebuild in New England. The Patriots dominated the 2010s, playing in five Super Bowls and winning three. But since 2020, New England has had just one winning season. Advertisement The Patriots fired Jerod Mayo and brought in their former player Vrabel as the new head coach this season to try to bring back the grit, intensity, and discipline New England displayed during Bill Belichick's 24-year tenure. The first step for Vrabel, building leaders and relationships in his locker room. "Sometimes people need a little different encouraging and sometimes you need a little bit firmer hand and maybe a little bit more firmer stance," Vrabel said. "I think that's all important in understanding and getting to know each person before you can start to lead them." All signs from the offseason point to positivity in that department so far, as Vrabel continues to develop and grow the leadership of his young quarterback and new team. Advertisement Related: An Identity Emerges for Mike Vrabel's Patriots This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fox Sports Taking Heat for Its Terry Bradshaw Decision
Saturday marked the final race in one of sports' most time-honored traditions: the Triple Crown of horse racing. Fans flocked to New York and tuned in on FOX to see Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty defeat Preakness winner Journalism once again to take two of the three crown jewel races. Fans enjoyed the on-track action, but they were dismayed by FOX's decision to include an analyst from a completely different sport. Advertisement Former NFL quarterback and longtime NFL on FOX analyst Terry Bradshaw handled some of the pre-race festivities, and the Hall of Famer struggled through some of the presentation. He named Saturday's race as the "137th" Belmont Stakes, when it was actually the 157th running of the race. "I appreciate someone other than NBC having coverage of a big horse race, but Fox really needs to work on production. The crowd mic is potted astronomically high, and Terry Bradshaw has no place on the broadcast," said one sports journalist on social media. "Imagine being a horse racing expert and you get your moment on TV on one of the very few days your sport gets to shine and you're ready to show your wisdom and spread love of your sport to the masses and then you're placed on equal footing to Terry Bradshaw," another person said. Advertisement The tradition of adding crossover properties to horse racing is nothing new. NBC went all-out in 2025 for the Kentucky Derby, inviting and speaking with several celebrities and names from its several networks, shows and movies on traditional television. "NBC Sports needs the entire Triple Crown. Fox Sports is bad. Terry Bradshaw bad," another horse racing fan said. FOX may not be the preferred home of horse racing for the average fan, but in order to get the full Triple Crown experience, they'll need to deal with the network for at least a few more years. FOX and the New York Racing Association have negotiated a rights deal that makes the network the exclusive home of the race and all associated events on the grounds through at least 2030. Advertisement "FOX Sports has quickly become the year-round home of the finest thoroughbred racing in the country,' said NYRA president and CEO Dave O'Rourke. After Saturday's experience, it seems that more than a few fans would beg to differ. Fox Sports Taking Heat for Its Terry Bradshaw Decision first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 8, 2025
