Spring Break
Flint wins NABC coaching honors
Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Sports
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But despite being picked last in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason poll, Flint once again proved his doubters wrong, guiding his team to a 10-8 conference mark and a sixth-place finish.
And ironically enough, it was his doubters who rewarded him for his efforts, naming him the CAA Coach of the Year for the third time.
However, as special as it was for him to garner an award from his critics, it was even more special to garner an award from his peers.
Flint, whose team finished with a 15-14 overall record, was named Division I Regional Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. It is the third time he has received the honor (1998, 2007, 2009).
Flint's Dragons were coming off a miserable 12-20 2007-08 season and came into the 2008-09 campaign having lost leading scorer and rebounder Frank Elegar, which led CAA media members, coaches and sports information directors to choose Drexel to finish 12th in the 12-team conference.
But Flint and his relatively young and inexperienced team thrived off the lack of respect from their critics, at one point winning seven consecutive games in the conference behind Flint's well-renowned man-to-man defense.
In fact, at one point the Dragons had a chance to earn a bye in the CAA Tournament before losing four straight to end the season - culminating in a first-round knockout at the hands of underdog Towson.
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