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Frank Haith named AP Coach of the Year

NCAA Basketball Tournament - Norfolk St v Missouri

OMAHA, NE - MARCH 16: Head coach Frank Haith of the Missouri Tigers coaches against the Norfolk State Spartans during the second round of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at CenturyLink Center on March 16, 2012 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

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Missouri’s Frank Haith has been named National Coach of the Year by the AP.

In his first season in Columbia, Haith led the Tigers to a 30 win season and the Big 12 tournament title. Making the season all the more impressive was the fact that Haith came to Missouri with more ridicule than hype, turning a team with a seven-man rotation -- and a starting power forward out of the lineup after tearing an ACL -- into one of the best teams in the country.

Unfortunately, Missouri’s story ended in the opening round of the NCAA tournament as they were upset by No. 15 seed Norfolk State. The cloud cast by that loss was further darkened by the fact that, late in the season, two of Haith’s former players at Miami were suspended for illegal benefits they received while Haith was head coach.

Haith was named USBWA Coach of the Year, but he lost out on Big 12 Coach of the Year when it was voted on by the coaches.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.