Two Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball coaches have been named finalists for national coaching awards, as Hofstra’s Speedy Claxton earned a spot on the list for the Joe B. Hall Award and Towson’s Pat Skerry is a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award.

Claxton is a finalist for the nation’s top first-year head coach after a 21-win debut season at his alma mater. Hofstra’s year included a win over then-No. 24 Arkansas and CAA Player of the Year honors for newcomer Aaron Estrada, who led the CAA in scoring and assists. The Joe B. Hall Award is named for the head coach of Kentucky from 1972-85, who went 20-8 in his first season succeeding Adolph Rupp and went on to three Final Fours.

Skerry is a finalist for the top mid-major coach in Division I after a 21-win improvement this season, leading Towson to 25 victories, which matches the program’s Division I record. Towson won its first CAA regular season title and appeared in the NIT for the first time in program history while earning two of five first-team All-CAA selections. The Hugh Durham Award is named for the former head coach at Jacksonville, Florida State, and Georgia, who is the only coach in NCAA history to be his program’s all-time wins leader at three different Division I schools.