April 1, 2026

BENEDICTINE MESA’S FRANK WOODFORD RECIPIENT OF 2026 DON MEYER AWARD
Presented annually to the top head coach in NAIA college basketball.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Benedictine Mesa’s Frank Woodford is the recipient of 2026 Don Meyer National Coach of the Year award, which is presented annually to the top head coach in NAIA college basketball.

After finishing last season 13-15, Woodford led Benedictine Mesa to a 28-7 record and an appearance in the NAIA Fab Four.

“Benedictine Mesa had never been to the NAIA National Tournament, before Coach Woodford took over the program,” said Angela Lento, Vice President of College Insider, Inc. and member of the Don Meyer award voting panel. He has transformed Benedictine Mesa into one of the up-and-coming programs in NAIA basketball. Remember the name. He knows how to build a program.”

Woodford shattered the school record for wins (18), which was set in 2023-24. The Redhawks nearly matched the school record for victories by starting the season 17-0.

Benedictine Mesa finished the regular season ranked No. 25 in the NAIA Top 25, after not even being among other's receiving votes in the preseason poll. 

Two players received accolades this season, as junior Isaiah Howard and senior Eric Blackwell earned All-Great Southwest Athletic Conference honors. In addition, Howard has been honored as the GSAC Newcomer of the Year was named to the NAIA All-Tournament team.

This was Woodford's sixth season as the head Redhawks head coach. He led the program to its first ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament in 2021.

He began his career as the Graduate Assistant at Northern Arizona University under Head Coach Jack Murphy. In his final season at NAU, the Lumberjacks won a school record 23 games and made it to the championship game of the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

The Don Meyer Award is named in honor of the sport's winningest coaches.

In 38 seasons at Hamline, Lipscomb and Northern State, Don Meyer 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.

His 1989-90 team at Lipscomb won a record 41 games and was the highest scoring team in college basketball 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.


PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
Brian Van Haaften, Dordt (2025); Scott Moore, Grace (2024); Ted Albert, Indiana Tech (2023); Stacy Hollowell, Loyola New Orleans (2022); Delano Thomas, Shawnee State (2021); Jim Sykes, Morningside College (2020); Jeff Rutter, Arizona Christian (2019); Craig Doty, Graceland University (2018); Tony Ingle, Dalton State (2017); Delton Deal, York College (2016); Larry Cordaro, LSU-Alexandria (2015); Jason Shelton, Freed-Hardeman (2014); Brandon Rinta, Lewis-Clark State (2013); Paul Peck, Lindsey Wilson College (2012); Andy Sharpe, Martin Methodist (2011).

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NOTE: Portions of the press release came from Benedictine Mesa releases.