Bo Ryan named midseason Coach of the Year

I can only imagine what Bo Ryan would say about a midseason coach of the year award. Actually, I can't. I once saw this guy seamlessly (I suppose) slip a "Gong Show" reference into a post-game presser. Yep.

Alas, Ryan will have to, as CollegeInsider.com named him the Jim Phelan midseason national Coach of the Year Tuesday. The full release is below, because I don't really know what else to add.

BOSTON -- After leading Wisconsin to its best start in 100 years, Wisconsin men's basketball head coach Bo Ryan was named the Jim Phelan midseason national Coach of the Year, CollegeInsider.com announced on Tuesday.

At 15-0, the Badgers equaled the greatest start in school history, dating back to 1913-14. Wisconsin owns the top spot on ESPN's RPI, going undefeated during a non-conference slate that included Saint Louis, Florida and Virginia. UW's non-conference opponents earned a combined mark of 114-60 (.655) in all other games.

In his 13th season at UW, Ryan became just the ninth coach in Big Ten history to eclipse the 300-win mark, doing so in a win at Virginia during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Wisconsin has spent each of the last five weeks in the Associated Press' top-five national rankings. UW began the season No. 20 in the AP preseason poll.

The Jim Phelan Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I coach and given to Bo Ryan following the 2007-08 season. The award is named in honor of Jim Phelan who coached his entire career at Mount Saint Mary's University. He led the Mountaineers to the 1962 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship.

The Badgers welcome Illinois to the Kohl Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.