Travis Steele wins 2026 John McLendon National Coach of the Year Award

Miami RedHawks men's basketball head coach Travis Steele has been named the 2026 John McLendon National Coach of the Year for the 2025-26 campaign, an honor bestowed upon the best head coach regardless of division of play– including all divisions of the NCAA, the NAIA and the junior college levels.

The award, named after trailblazing head coach John McLendon, is voted on by a committee made of 10 current Division I coaches, athletic administrators and senior College Insider staff members, and presented on-site at the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

Under Steele's leadership, the Miami RedHawks had a season for the ages, going from an unknown– if feisty– competitor in the Mid-American Conference to national mid-major darling overnight.

Steele, who also won MAC coach of the year honors, landed five players on all-MAC postseason rosters, including MAC Player of the Year Pete Suder (first-team), Brant Byers and Eian Elmer (second-team), Luke Skaljac (third-team) and Antwone Woolfolk (honorable mention). Miami wasn't at full health down the stretch either; starting point guard Evan Ipsaro suffered a season-ending injury in December, forcing lineup changes.

Despite the injury, Miami became the fifth Division I team in the last century to go undefeated (31-0) in the regular season campaign, and was selected as the MAC's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 1999 after spending the latter half of the season ranked in the Associated Press' Top 25 poll.

The RedHawks went 1-1 in their first NCAA Tournament since 2007, taking a First Four win against fellow 11-seed SMU in Dayton, Ohio, before losing in the Round of 64 to six-seed Tennessee.

The 32 total victories shattered Miami's previous high for single-season wins (25), and currently sit on program best marks in consecutive home (31) and road (15) wins.

In four seasons at Miami, Steele is 84-48 overall, with a 47-25 mark in conference play.