Joel Cornette was recognized as a Big East Legend at this year’s conference tournament for his contributions to the Butler basketball program.
The Cornette family received the award at Madison Square Garden before the start of Butler’s tournament game against Providence on March 11. They were joined at center court by Val Ackerman, commissioner of the Big East, and Dan Leibovitz, senior associate commissioner for men’s basketball. This is the third year of the recognition program, in which the 11 member schools are tasked with selecting a former prominent coach or player for the honor.
“We are so excited to be here today to celebrate the legacy of our son and our brother,” said Christi Cornette, Joel’s mother. “In his famous words, ‘We are still here.'”
Jordan Cornette, an analyst for NBC Sports, was on the broadcast team for the game. His wife, Shae, the host of “First Take” on ESPN, delivered an emotional report on the honor on the next day’s show.