NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Former Belmont University men's basketball head coach Rick Byrd has been named one of four recipients of the 2022 Joe Lapchick Character Award.
 
Byrd, Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman, Florida State men's basketball head coach Leonard Hamilton and former La Salle head coach Speedy Morris will be honored at a ceremony Sept. 16 in New York.
 
This is the latest coaching honor for Byrd, who was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame this past November and received the 2022 John R. Wooden Award Legends of Coaching honor by the Los Angeles Athletic Club in April.

In addition, in January, Belmont University established the Rick Byrd Character Formation and Leadership Program. This new initiative will create curriculum around Byrd's leadership, coaching and character formation philosophies that can then be embedded in both academic courses and co-curricular programming across the University and beyond. In addition, the Rick Byrd Character Award will annually recognize an individual in the community who exemplifies the leadership and character of Coach Byrd.

A current Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction candidate and Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Byrd systematically led Belmont to national prominence in both NCAA Division I and NAIA.
 
He ranks 13th all-time among NCAA Division I head coaches with 805 career victories.

The Knoxville, Tennessee native led Belmont to eight NCAA Tournament appearances (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019) and 17 conference championships (10 regular season, seven tournament) in his final 14 years, national top 25 poll votes eight of his last nine years and notable victories over the likes of North Carolina, UCLA, Marquette, Cincinnati, Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Stanford, Butler and Temple, among others.

Moreover, for programs with at least six decades of history, Byrd retired first among NCAA Division I head coaches when ranked by percentage of schools' all-time wins; accounting for a staggering 62.4 percent of Belmont's total victories.

A 14-time district or conference coach of the year, Byrd's career conference winning percentage of .797 (447-114) ranks second in NCAA Division I, behind only Mark Few of Gonzaga.

Under Byrd's leadership, the Bruin program was marked by sustained excellence, one of only nine NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games each of his final 14 seasons (BYU, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina and San Diego State).

Five Belmont players earned Associated Press All-America recognition (Adam Sonn, Alex Renfroe, Ian Clark, J.J. Mann, Evan Bradds). Clark won an NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2017.

But of even greater significance to Byrd, Belmont established an unparalleled standard of academic achievement among NCAA Division I programs. Since 2001, Belmont leads the nation in Academic All-America selections (19, including Luke Smith in 2022) and is the only program to rank among the nation's best every year since inception of the Academic Progress Rate (APR).

Belmont has posted a team grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher 21 consecutive years and claimed the 'Academic National Championship' on InsiderHigherEd.com each of its last three NCAA Tournament appearances (2013, 2015, 2019).

Furthermore, in the NCAA Division I era, every Belmont player who completed eligibility under Byrd's watch earned his degree, with only two scholarship student-athletes transferring out over his final 15 years.

Byrd served as NCAA Men's Basketball Rules' Committee Chairman from 2013-15, whereby sweeping measures including the reduction of the shot clock, expansion of the restricted arc for block/charge calls, and freedom of movement and pace of play were instituted.

Byrd received the 2012 NCAA Bob Frederick award for his lifelong commitment to sportsmanship, ethical conduct and fair play.

Prior to Belmont, Byrd served as head coach at Lincoln Memorial (TN) University and Maryville (TN) College.
 
This is the 14th 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 New York Knicks.
 
Belmont University men's basketball has earned postseason invitations 15 of the last 17 seasons, including nine berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 20 conference championships since 2006 - third-most nationally over that span (Gonzaga, Kansas). Belmont has won 20 or more games in 12 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, Oregon). Belmont is one of only six NCAA Division I programs outside the Power 5 to post Top 100 rankings 12 consecutive seasons (BYU, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Wichita State). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 19 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections since 2001 and is the only NCAA Division I program to make the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Honor Roll every year of existence

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