CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard Athletics is proud to announce that two of its head coaches have received Coach of Excellence Awards based on their work in 2019-20. Mel Denham, head coach of women's rugby, has been named the recipient of The Ragatz Family Harvard Women's Coach of Excellence, while Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball, was selected as the honoree of The James Herscot '58 Coach of Excellence.  Both coaches will hold the honorary titles through the upcoming academic year.
 
Amaker and Denham have each distinguished themselves as head coaches throughout their tenures at Harvard, both leading their programs to a remarkable level of success in recent years. Both recipients have turned their teams into Ivy League powerhouses with a national presence, while serving as great leaders and mentors for their teams and in their sports.
 
"I am grateful to Jim Herscot '58 and Kendra Ragatz '95 for establishing these two Coach of Excellence Awards that enable us to annually honor outstanding leaders in our Department. I am grateful and very proud of Mel and Tommy for their outstanding work.  They are both exceptional educators and mentors for our student-athletes," stated Bob Scalise, The John D. Nichols '53 Family Director of Athletics.
 
In just three seasons at the helm of the women's rugby program, Denham has led the Crimson to unprecedented success. Under Denham's leadership, the Crimson made two consecutive appearances in the rugby national title game in the 15s season, earning its first NIRA National Championship title in program history in 2019-20. Denham owns a 47-25 overall record, including a 13-5 conference mark as the team earned the Ivy Championship in 2018-19 during both the 15s and 7s season. Denham has played a leadership role in the growth of women's rugby as it continues to gain popularity as an emerging sport on the national level. Denham's student-athletes have been awarded 20 All-America accolades and have been honored for their leadership and academic work on campus.
 
Recently completing his 13th season in Cambridge, Amaker has established Harvard as a preeminent men's basketball program at the conference and national level. Amaker has directed the Crimson to seven Ivy League championships, four NCAA tournament appearances and seven 20-win seasons. Harvard's all-time winningest men's basketball coach with the Crimson, Amaker has tallied a 251-139 overall record with a 126-54 Ivy League mark. Amaker has built a program that champions educational opportunities for student-athletes, including annual forums with the Harvard Institute of Politics, Breakfast Club events with African-American leaders, Food Faculty & Fellowship meals, and visits to cultural landmarks in conjunction with away games. Amaker continues to serve in various leadership roles in college basketball. He has also been actively involved in campus life at Harvard, serving as an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School and a Special Assistant to the President.