Wyoming's Joe Tiller and BYU's LaVell Edwards, who will lead their teams into the Western Athletic Conference championship game on Dec. 7, have been named the Pacific and Mountain division coaches of the year.
In voting by the conference's head coaches announced Tuesday, Tiller earned the award for the first time in his six-year career at Wyoming after leading the Cowboys to a 10-1 record. Last week, he was named coach at Purdue.Edwards, in his 25th season at BYU, was named the conference's coach of the year for the seventh time after guiding the Cougars to a 12-1 mark.
BYU players swept the top awards in the Mountain Division. Quarterback Steve Sarkisian was the offensive player of the year, linebacker Shay Muirbrook the defensive player and running back Ronney Jenkins the top freshman.
Sarkisian leads the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 177.35. He has thrown for 3,777 yards and 32 TDs. Muirbook is second in the WAC in quarterback sacks with 10. Jenkins has run for 721 yards and 11 TDs.
BYU had nine players named to the first team All-WAC Mountain, while Utah placed four players on the first team. The Cougars have four second-teamers, while the Utes have three.
Top individual awards in the Pacific Division went to Air Force quarterback Beau Morgan and Wyoming receiver Marcus Harris, who were named co-offensive players of the year; Air Force linebacker Chris Gizzi, defensive player of the year, and UNLV quarterback Jon Denton, freshman of the year.
Morgan, who leads the WAC in rushing with 1,408 yards, became the first player in NCAA history to both run and pass for 1,000 yards in two seasons. Harris has set a Division I-A career record with 4,400 yards and broke a WAC record with 1,532 yards this season.
Gizzi averaged 11.5 tackles per game. Denton set freshman passing records and finished the year with 3,591 yards and 25 touchdowns.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
All-WAC football
MOUNTAIN FIRST TEAM
QB - Steve Sarkisian, Sr., BYU.
WR - Kevin Dyson, Jr., Utah.
TE - Itula Mili, Sr. BYU; Chad Lewis, Sr., BYU.
OL - Larry Moore, Sr., BYU; Brandon Turner, Sr., N.M.; Ryan Tucker, Sr., TCU; Brian Newnam, Sr., Tulsa; Chad Folk, Sr., Utah.
RB - Chris Fuamatu-Ma`afala, So., Utah; Lennox Gordon, So., N.M.
DL - Ndukwe Kalu, Sr., Rice; Henry Bloomfield, Sr., BYU; Salifu Abudulai, Sr., Tulsa.
LB - Shay Muirbrook, Sr., BYU; Michael Comer, Sr., UTEP; Craig Swann, Sr., SMU; Chris Bordano, Jr., SMU.
DB - Tim McTyer, Sr., BYU; Harold Lusk, Sr., Utah; Omarr Morgan, Jr., BYU; Jay Harvey, Sr., SMU.
PK - James Anderson, Jr., Tulsa.
P - Tucker Phillips, Sr., Rice.
Return - James Dye, Sr., BYU.
PACIFIC FIRST TEAM
QB - Beau Morgan, Sr., A.F.; Josh Wallwork, Sr., Wyo.
WR - Marcus Harris, Sr., Wyo.; Will Blackwell, Jr., SDSU; Brian Roberson, Sr., Fresno St.
OL - Steve Scifres, Sr. Wyo.; Mark Rogowski, Sr., Colo. St.; Kyle Turley, Jr., SDSU; Carlton Hendrix, Sr., A.F.; Gary Osmundson, Sr., Fresno St.
RB - Calvin Branch, Sr., Colo. St.
DL - Bryan Robinson, Sr., Fresno St.; Adrian Ioja, Sr., SDSU; Cameron Curry, Sr., A.F.; Adrian Ross, Jr., Colo. St.
LB - A.J. Gass, Jr., Fresno St.; Chris Gizzi, Jr., A.F.; Jim Talich, Jr., Wyo.
DB - Ricky Parker, Sr., SDSU; Eddie Klaneski, Jr., Hawaii; Lee Vaughn, Sr., Wyo.; Omar Stoutmire, Sr., Fresno St.
PK - Cory Wedel, So., Wyo.
P - Noel Prefontaine, Sr., SDSU.
Return - Leandrew Childs, Jr., SDSU.
MOUNTAIN SECOND TEAM
QB - Donald Sellers, Sr., N.M.; WR - Wes Caswell, Jr., Tulsa; Kaipo McGuire, Sr., BYU; Cedric Johnson, Sr., UTEP; OL - Jeremy Thigpen, Sr., Rice; James Johnson, Sr., BYU; Barry Sims, Sr., Utah; Keith Chiles, Sr., SMU; Charles Torello, So., Rice; RB - Donte Womack, Jr., SMU; Spencer George, Sr., Rice; DL - Matt Harper, Jr., TCU; Chad Kauhaahaa, Sr., Utah; Best Ihegborow, Sr., UTEP; LB - Robert Love, So., Utah; Muadianvita Kazadi, Sr., Tulsa; Brad Martin, So., BYU; Blake Irwin, Jr., N.M.; DB - Jeremy Bunch, Sr., Tulsa; David Terrell, Jr., UTEP; Billy Austin, Jr., N.M.; Warrick Franklin, Sr., Rice; PK - Ethan Pochman, Sr., BYU; P - Jason Bloom, So., N.M.; RS - Michael Perry, So., Rice.
PACIFIC SECOND TEAM
QB - Jon Denton, Fr., UNLV; WR - Jeremy Calhoun, Sr., Colo. St.; Windrell Hayes, So., San Jose St.; David Saraf, Sr., Wyo.; OL - Dennis Whitmore, Sr., UNLV; Jay Korth, Jr., Wyo.; Ephraim Salaam, Jr., SDSU; Mike Zeman, Sr., A.F.; Anthony Cesario, So., Colo. St.; RB - Michael Pittman, Jr., Fresno St.; Len Sexton, Sr., Wyo.; DL - Chris Schweighardt, Sr., A.F.; Jeff Leonard, Jr., Wyo.; Pat Larson, Sr., Wyo.
LB - Jacob Malae, Sr., San Jose St.; Scott Patton, Jr., UNLV; Alex Pupich, Sr., A.F.; Jay Jenkins, Sr., Wyo.
DB - Rio Wells, Sr., Fresno St.; Brian Lee, Jr., Wyo.; Frank Staine-Pyne, Jr., A.F.; Jason Moore, Jr., SDSU; PK - Peter Holt, Sr., SDSU; P - Aaron Langley, So., Wyo.; RS - Brian Roberson, Sr., Fresno St.