WASHINGTON, D.C. – Maryland men's basketball head coach Mark Turgeon was honored as the 2015 Kansan of the Year at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Tuesday night.

Turgeon, a native of Topeka, Kan.,  played point guard at Kansas University from 1984-87 and was the first Jayhawks player to participate in four straight NCAA Tournaments.  A team captain in his junior and senior seasons, Turgeon led the Jayhawks to the 1986 NCAA Final Four.

“I am truly humbled and proud of this honor,”  said Turgeon, the 2015 Big Ten Coach of the Year.  “I would like to thank the Kansas Society of Washington, D.C. for hosting this terrific evening and bringing us all together.  Kansas is a very special place and to receive this recognition means a great deal to both me and my family.”

Prior to his starring role at Kansas, Turgeon led Hayden High School to consecutive Class 4A state titles in 1982-83, earning all-tournament honors each year. A first-team all-state pick as a senior, Hayden went 47- 3 in high school career.

Entering his 18th season as a head basketball coach, Turgeon has complied 337 career wins and has led three different programs (Wichita State, Texas A&M and Maryland) to the NCAA Tournament.  He has spent the last four years at Maryland, leading  the Terps to a school-record 26 regular season wins last season. Maryland finished 28-7 in its inaugural year in the Big Ten and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.