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INDIANAPOLIS (IN) -- In what had been deemed as a rebuilding season, Jamie Dixon generated what may have been his finest coaching performance to date. Despite losing four starters from the previous season’s Elite Eight team, Pittsburgh won 25 games and was a shot away from advancing to the Sweet Sixteen this year.

That kind success made Dixon an easy choice as this year’s recipient of the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award. This expands an already packed personal trophy case for Dixon. His previous accolades include the 2004 Big East Coach of the Year Award, the 2009 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year and the 2009 Naismith National Coach of the Year Award.

Pittsburgh overcame major personnel losses this season that would have decimated most programs. Dixon’s team relied on old fashioned defensive toughness to keep the winning ways going. The Panthers led the Big East in scoring defense (61.8 ppg) and finished third in the conference in field goal percentage defense (40%).

Dixon’s team was wonderfully consistent this season, never losing more than two consecutive games. With the NCAA Tournament victory over Oakland, six out of Dixon’s seven Pittsburgh teams have advanced past the first round of the event. He currently sports the best winning percentage out of every active Big East coach.

The other finalists for the award were Steve Alford (New Mexico), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), John Calipari (Kentucky), Steve Donohue (Cornell), Fran Dunphy (Temple), Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa), mid-season honoree Frank Martin (Kansas State), Chris Mooney (Richmond), Matt Painter (Purdue), Bo Ryan Bill Self (Kansas), Brad Stevens (Butler)Mark Turgeon (Texas A&M) and Jay Wright (Villanova).

Prior to 2003 the award was known simply as the CollegeInsider.com National Coach of the Year Award. It was renamed to honor longtime Mount St. Mary’s head coach Jim Phelan, who retired following the 2002-03 season.

The previous winners of the award were John Calipari (Memphis 2009), Bo Ryan (Wisconsin 2008), Tony Bennett (Washington State 2007), Ben Howland (UCLA 2006), Tubby Smith (Kentucky 2005) Phil Martelli (St. Joseph’s 2004) and Mark Slonaker (Mercer 2003).