PRESS RELEASE: PSWA Most Courageous media availability, 4:30 p.m., Wed. Jan. 17, at DoubleTree by Hilton, Cherry Hill
Contact: John Weber
267-408-7500 or
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Philly native and current LaSalle special assistant men’s basketball coach Joe Mihalich is this year’s Philadelphia Sports Writers Association “Most Courageous Sportsperson” Award winner.
Mihalich will meet with the media preceding the Wednesday dinner for a news conference in room 523 of the DoubleTree by Hilton Cherry Hill at 4:30 p.m.
The highlight of every Philadelphia Sports Writers Dinner is the announcement of our Most Courageous Sportsperson of the Year. In 2024, the PSWA will recognize basketball coaching lifer Joe Mihalich on his will to press on despite suffering what could have been a fatal stroke back in 2020. The owner of more than 400 career wins as a Division I head coach, he has returned to the sidelines as a special assistant to head coach Fran Dunphy at his alma mater, LaSalle University.
Mihalich will meet with the media prior to the dinner and cocktail hour. He will have a news conference in room 523 of the DoubleTree by Hilton Cherry Hill at 4:30 p.m.
Before rejoining LaSalle, Mihalich spent seven seasons at Hofstra in charge of the men’s basketball program. In those seven years, Mihalich built a 141-92 record, including two NIT bids and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth (the tournament was cancelled that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Mihalich enjoyed five winning seasons in seven years as Hofstra head coach.
As head coach at Niagara, Mihalich led the school to 265 wins and five postseason appearances, earning three Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year awards in 15 seasons. Under Mihalich, the Purple Eagles were three-time MAAC regular season champions and two-time tournament winners.
Mihalich was on the LaSalle bench for 17 seasons before leaving for a head coaching opportunity. He assisted at his alma mater under head coaches Lefty Ervin and Speedy Morris and was part of eight postseason appearances and five NCAA Tournament teams at 20th & Olney, deeply involved in the development of many Explorers who would go on to play in the NBA, including Lionel Simmons, Tim Legler, Doug Overton, and Randy Woods.
The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association will honor Mihalich and many others at our 119th Awards Banquet at the DoubleTree by Hilton (formerly Crowne Plaza) on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, NJ, on Wednesday January 17, 2024. Tickets are no longer available. The event is sold out. For more info on our guests and honorees, visit https://phillysportswriters.com/tickets-2/.