San Antonio, TX — Former LMU Men's Basketball Head Coach Paul Westhead is the recipient of the 2026 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) announced on Friday.
 
Westhead coached the Lions from 1985-1990 and is credited with re-establishing LMU on the NCAA Basketball map. As head coach for five years, Westhead's 1988 Lions hold the school's record for the best season, ending overall 28-4. LMU teams scored the highest halves in NCAA history under Westhead and in 1990, set the NCAA mark for the highest scoring game in the history of the sport. Under Westhead, the Lions set NCAA history by averaging 122 points per game, ending the 1990 season one game shy of The Final Four.
 
Westhead's lasting impact on the game has also been recognized through multiple Hall of Fame honors and career distinctions. Westhead has been inducted into the Loyola Marymount University Hall of Fame (2000), the West Coast Conference Hall of Honors (2017), and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2024). Westhead is the only coach in the history of the sport to win both an NBA and WNBA Championship.
 
The National Basketball Coaches Association's Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award honors the memory of Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Daly, who, over an outstanding NBA coaching career, set a standard for integrity, competitive excellence, and tireless promotion of NBA basketball. The award is determined annually by a Selection Committee composed of some of the most respected coaches and basketball executives in the game, including Bernie Bickerstaff, Rick Carlisle, Billy Cunningham, Joe Dumars, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Pat Riley, and Donnie Walsh.
 
Prior recipients are Don Nelson (2025), Rudy Tomjanovich (2024), Rick Adelman (2023), Mike Fratello (2022), Larry Brown (2021), Del Harris (2020), Frank Layden (2019), Doug Moe (2018), Al Attles and Hubie Brown (2017), K.C. Jones and Jerry Sloan (2016), Dick Motta (2015), Bernie Bickerstaff (2014), Bill Fitch (2013), Pat Riley (2012), Lenny Wilkens (2011), Jack Ramsay and Tex Winter (2010), and Tommy Heinsohn (2009).
 
About the NBCA: The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) is the labor association that represents basketball coaches in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1976 by legendary Boston Celtics player and coach Tommy Heinsohn, the NBCA consists of all NBA Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, and alumni, and works closely with the NBA on all matters that pertain to the coaching profession.
 
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Returning Season Ticket Holders: If you held season tickets for the 2025-26 season, you do not need to place a deposit. Your seats are currently being held, and renewal information will be sent directly to you soon.
 
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