The LBWCC Saints’ head men’s basketball coach Ricky Knight has been named the 2017-18 Alabama Community College Conference South Division Men’s Coach of the Year.

This is the fifth time that Knight as been named the ACCC’s Coach of the Year.

Knight is in his 31st year  at the helm of the Saints’ men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Knight is a Andalusia High School graduate where he played for Hall-of-Fame head coach Richard Robertson.

“He was one of the best players that I ever coached,” Robertson said. “He and his brother both played for me, and Ricky did everything that you asked him to do.”

Following high school, Knight played for four years at the University of Alabama Huntsville.

Knight continued his playing career after college, making professional stops in Australia, Brazil and Venezuela.

After finishing his playing career, Knight became the head coach at UAH.

The job at UAH lasted only a year before Knight decided to come home to Andalusia and take over head coaching duties at LBWCC .

Knight has two Alabama junior college state championships when his women’s team won back-to-back state titles during the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons.

“Ricky has done a great job at LBW,” Robertson said. “This year, I watched them play a few games, and he has a pretty good group of kids. I’m proud of the things that he has accomplished.”

This season, Knight’s men’s team finished the regular season with 14-10 record and 10-4 record in conference play.

The Saints finished the regular season in the third place in the South Division, but held the first place ranking for most of the season before a few late season hiccups.

The Saints earned a spot in the ACCC tournament after knocking off Southern Union 91-84 in overtime in the tournament’s play-in game.

However, in the opening round of the tournament the Saints’ season came to and end with a 77-73 loss to Shelton State.

Along with Knight, LBWCC sophomore Landrius Horton was named to the All-South first-team list.

Horton also received the honors of being named to the All-Region 22 second-team list.

Shelton State’s Tra’Quan Knight was named the ACCC North Division Player of the year as well as the ACCC Player of the Year.

Coastal Alabama North’s Tyshawn Davis was named the ACCC South Division Player of the Year.