April 1, 2022

STACY HOLLOWELL WINS 2022 AWARD

NEW ORLEANS, LA -- Loyola New Orleans coach Stacy Hollowell is the recipient of The Don Meyer Award after he led Loyola New Orleans to the NAIA national championship.

Hollowell steered the Wolf Pack through extreme adversity to a 37-1 overall record and the program’s first national title in 77 years.  Hurricane Ida damaged the team’s home court in the fall. The team practiced in Dallas in the preseason and played early home games in a fieldhouse at Tulane. The team also encountered COVID-19 postponements, a tornado scare and a bout with food poisoning.

Despite those obstacles, Loyola defeated Talladega 71-56 in the national title game in Kansas City. The Wolf Pack outscored opponents by an average of 20 points during the tournament, placed three players on the All-Tournament team and Zach Wrightsil was named NAIA National Player of the Year. 

Hollowell has led Loyola New Orleans to 166 wins in eight seasons.

The Don Meyer Award, which is presented annually to the top NAIA basketball coach, is named in honor of the one of the sport's winningest coaches.

In 38 seasons at Hamline, Lipscomb and Northern State, he compiled an astounding 923-324 record. He led Lipscomb to the NAIA national championship in 1986 and coached the two highest-scoring players in the history of college basketball, John Pierce and Philip Hutcheson. Also, his 1989-90 team at Lipscomb won a record 41 games and was the highest scoring team in college history.

In 2010, he received the John Bunn Award at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Meyer retired from coaching in February 2010. Coach Meyer lost his long battle with cancer on May 18, 2014, at the age of 69.