ECU coach named 2025 Red Auerbach Coach of the Year award finalist

by | Mar 26, 2025

East Carolina men’s basketball coach Michael Schwartz is a finalist for the 2025 Red Auerbach Coach of the Year award.

Below is a press release from ECU Sports Information with more details.

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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information photo illustration)

By ECUPirates.com

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – East Carolina head coach Michael Schwartz has been tabbed as a finalist for the 2025 Red Auerbach Coach of the Year Award by the Jewish Coaches Association (JCA) according to an announcement from the organization.

The winner of the award will be announced by the JCA on April 5.

In Schwartz’s third season at the helm with East Carolina, the Pirates compiled an overall record of 19-14 with the 19 victories being the most regular season wins in the program’s Division I history and the second-most wins in a season in program history. It also marked the first winning season for the Pirates since 2012-13.

“I’m very thankful for our staff and players here at ECU,” Schwartz said. “Honored to be mentioned with this group of coaches.”

ECU’s 10-8 mark in American Athletic Conference play were the most wins for the program since joining the conference and the first time since 1974-75 that ECU reached double-digit conference wins in a season. East Carolina won four road conference games in 2024-25, marking the first time since 2012-13 that ECU won four games away from Minges Coliseum and the Pirates won a game in the AAC Men’s Basketball Tournament for the third straight season in as many years under Schwartz.

Under Schwartz’s guidance, RJ Felton and C.J. Walker earned All-AAC First Team Honors, becoming the first Pirate teammates to both earn first team all-conference honors in the same season in ECU’s Division I history. Felton finished his Pirates career third all-time in scoring with 1,774 points and fifth all-time in AAC basketball history in career points. C.J. WalkerCam Hayes and Jordan Riley all reached the 1,000-point mark for their respective collegiate careers during the season, giving ECU four 1,000-point scorers on its roster.

The JCA named its college coach of the year award after Red Auerbach, the coaching legend who won 938 games (a record at his retirement) and nine National Basketball Association (NBA) championships as a coach. As general manager and team president of the Boston Celtics, he won an additional seven NBA titles, for a grand total of 16 in a span of 29 years, making him one of the most successful team officials ever in the history of professional sports.

The JCA is a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to foster the growth and development of individuals of the Jewish faith at all levels of sports, both nationally and internationally. The JCA is committed to creating a constructive and tolerant environment where issues can be examined closely, debated sincerely and resolved honestly. The JCA’s focus involves the concerns of its colleagues in professional sports, NCAA (Division I, II and III), NAIA (Division I and II), junior college and high school levels.

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