FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Official Release

ATLANTA, Ga. (Apr. 6, 2013)-- University of Wisconsin-Parkside head men's basketball coach Luke Reigel is the 2013 Jack Bennett Man of the Year Award winner, capturing the prestigious honor on Friday night at the CollegeInsider.com awards banquet at the site of the men's NCAA Basketball Championship.

The award is the third coaching honor bestowed upon Reigel this season, also claiming the 2013 Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year and the 2013 National Association of Basketball Coaches Midwest District Coach of the Year awards. Reigel, who finished his 10th year at the helm in 2012-2013, let the Rangers (20-9, 14-4 GLVC) to their first 20-win campaign since 1987, capturing the GLVC East Division title and earning a bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Reigel's squad climbed as high as 13th in the NABC Top 25 Poll while owning a 7-2 mark against opponents ranked in the Top 25.

Under his direction, Jeremy Saffold claimed 2013 GLVC Player of the Year honors while Andy Mazurczak was the GLVC Co-Freshman of the Year.

The Jack Bennett Award, which represents winning with integrity, is named in honor of the former head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Bennett won five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, made five NCAA tournament appearances and finished his career with back-to-back national championships, the only two in school history. He's the program's all-time winningest coach with a 200-56 record. In 28 seasons as head coach he compiled a record of 480-175.

Reigel was one of five finalists announced for the award on Monday along with Bobby Collins from Winston Salem State University, Keith Dickson of Saint Anselm College, Josh Schertz of Lincoln Memorial University and Bob Semling of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.