RUSTON – After leading Louisiana Tech to 20 victories and a Conference USA West Division title, Bulldog Basketball head coach Eric Konkol was voted as the C-USA Gene Bartow Coach of the Year. 
 
LA Tech was picked to finish seventh in the C-USA preseason poll after losing four starters off the 2019-20 team that produced a 22-win season and a second-place finish in the league. 
 
Konkol guided the 2020-21 Bulldogs, meshing a group of seven seniors and three stud underclassmen, to register a 20-6 overall mark and a 12-4 league record.  The team clinched their third overall C-USA title (2013-14 and 2014-15) on March 5 and will be the No. 1 West seed in the C-USA Championship.
 
Defense was a key part to the success of Konkol’s unit this season.  The ‘Dogs have highest-rated defense in C-USA, ranking 35th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency.  The team also ranks No. 1 in the league and top 20 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (40.0) and three-point field goal percentage defense (29.2). 
 
Per KenPom, LA Tech played the second hardest league schedule.  Despite that, the Bulldogs picked up several marquee wins including a 63-58 win at WKU, a 68-63 victory at North Texas and a two-game sweep at home over UAB. 

LA Tech was once again dominant at home, going 15-1 for a third straight season.
 
Konkol, who is wrapping up his sixth season at the helm, now owns the most 20-win seasons of any head coach in Bulldog Basketball history with five.  Recently, he passed Andy Russo for the fourth most victories by a head coach (currently 125-63).   
 
The Conference USA Coach of the Year award is named in honor of C-USA Hall of Famer Gene Bartow, the legendary former coach at UAB along with other schools, who passed away in January 2012.
 
For all the latest in Bulldog Basketball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechHoops), Instagram (@LATechHoops) and Facebook (LATechMBB). 

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