Mike Brey, Lisa Bluder, James Jones and Ernie Johnson Earn 2026 Joe Lapchick Character Award
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NEW YORK — Former Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, longtime Yale coach James Jones, retired Iowa coach Lisa Bluder and veteran broadcaster Ernie Johnson have been selected as the 2026 recipients of the Joe Lapchick Character Award.
The honor, now in its 18th year, recognizes basketball figures who exemplify the integrity and character of Hall of Fame coach Joe Lapchick. This year’s honorees will be celebrated during a luncheon on Sept. 18 in New York.
Mike Brey
Brey amassed a school-record 483 wins during his 23 seasons at Notre Dame, part of 582 career victories. He guided the Fighting Irish to 13 NCAA tournament appearances and two Elite Eight trips, highlighted by a 32-6 campaign in 2015 that included an ACC tournament title. The 2011 AP Coach of the Year previously led Delaware before arriving in South Bend.
James Jones
In his 27th season at Yale, Jones has compiled 418 victories, the second-highest total in Ivy League history. He has taken the Bulldogs to five NCAA tournaments, earning tournament wins over Baylor in 2016 and Auburn in 2024, and has produced nine overall postseason berths. Jones claimed the 2019 Ben Jobe Award as Division I’s top minority coach and entered this season with a 108-32 Ivy League mark over the past decade.
Lisa Bluder
Bluder retired in 2024 after 40 years on the sidelines, the last 24 at Iowa, where she steered the Hawkeyes to consecutive national championship game appearances while mentoring star guard Caitlin Clark. Her 894 career wins ranked third among active coaches at the time she stepped down. The winningest coach in Big Ten history (528-254), Bluder captured the 2019 Naismith Coach of the Year award, earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors three times and received the 2016 Carol Eckman Coaches Award for sportsmanship and dedication to student-athletes. She previously headed programs at St. Ambrose and Drake.
Ernie Johnson
Johnson, the longtime host of “Inside the NBA,” now airing on ESPN, owns eight national sports Emmy Awards for studio hosting. He has been part of men’s NCAA tournament coverage for the past 15 years and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2023. His résumé also includes broadcasting assignments in Major League Baseball, golf and multiple Olympic Games.
The Joe Lapchick Character Award honors individuals whose careers reflect the leadership and ethical standards demonstrated by Lapchick during his tenures at St. John’s University and with the New York Knicks.
Source: ESPN
