CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball, has earned the JOY Luminary Leader Award for his exceptional leadership with the Harvard Men's Basketball team and his profound contributions to the community in mentorship and service.
 
As part of the recognition, Amaker will receive the award at the Sports, Entertainment, and Impact (SEI) Summit – a two-day event held at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School from Nov. 15-16.
 
Amaker was introduced as the head coach of the Crimson on April 13, 2007 and has since led the Harvard program to the most successful 17-year stretch in Ivy League history.
 
His accomplishments include guiding the team to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances (2012-15), seven Ivy League Championships (five consecutive titles from 2011-15 and back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019), three NIT appearances and seven 20-win seasons. He became the all-time winningest coach in program history after a historic win over Boston College on December 7, 2016.
 
Prior to his time at Harvard, Amaker served as the head men's basketball coach at both the University of Michigan and Seton Hall University. After his 2004 Michigan team won the NIT championship, Amaker became the youngest African American coach to win a national tournament title.
 
In 2006, Michigan finished as the runner-up in the NIT championship game. While at Seton Hall, Amaker was credited with bringing in the number one nationally ranked recruiting class, guiding the 2000 team to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament.
 
The Sports, Entertainment, and Impact (SEI) Summit, themed The Business of Doing Good, is a two-day event that explores how leaders in sports and entertainment are shaping social impact while navigating the intersection of business and policy. Through mini-TED Talks, panel discussions, and C-suite roundtables, attendees will hear from top executives and brands as they share how they grapple with the ROI of impact in these influential industries. The summit will also explore how impact ventures and wealth-building strategies can be leveraged to uplift historically marginalized communities with influence in these sectors.
 
The event will also feature the JOY Luminary Awards reception, celebrating individuals for their commitment to transformational change, service, and justice.
 
Co-hosted by the Harvard Law School Business of Sports Club, the Harvard Kennedy School Black Student Union, and the Harvard School of Public Health Media and Medicine Club, the SEI Summit provides inspiration, service, and unparalleled networking opportunities.