HONOLULU — Hawai‘i coach June Jones was named Western Athletic Coach of the Year on Monday for the first time since 1999, when he turned around the struggling program. Warriors quarterback Colt Brennan was voted the WAC offensive player of
HONOLULU — Hawai‘i coach June Jones was named Western Athletic Coach of the Year on Monday for the first time since 1999, when he turned around the struggling program.
Warriors quarterback Colt Brennan was voted the WAC offensive player of the year by the league’s nine head coaches, becoming the first Hawai‘i player to earn the honor. The junior was among nine Warriors on the All-WAC first-team — the most of any school.
The resurgent Warriors (10-3, 7-1 WAC) had a nine-game winning streak and broke into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1992 before losing to Oregon State 35-32 on Saturday night. They finished second in the WAC to No. 9 Boise State.
Jones learned about his award from the media during his weekly press conference and held back tears when he heard. He said the honor was a reflection of his coaching staff and the team’s success.
It shocked Jones, who voted for first-year Boise State coach Chris Petersen.
Petersen led the No. 9 Broncos to an undefeated regular season, a fifth straight WAC championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl to become just the second non-BCS school to earn an invite to a big-money postseason game.
“I don’t know how Chris Peterson didn’t get it,” Jones said. “He’s undefeated.”
Jones said he doesn’t know what criteria the other coaches were using when they favored him over Petersen.
“I don’t even know how to comment on it,” he said. “God is good sometimes.”
Hawai‘i led the nation in scoring (47.3 points a game), passing (432.2 yards) and total offense (549.9 yards) and could finish with a school record 11 wins if it beats Arizona State in the Dec. 24 Hawai‘i Bowl.
“This team is special,” Jones said. “I can feel it in the locker room, on the field. This team is different. I almost thought it was a spiritual thing.”
Brennan, who leads the nation in total offense, passing efficiency and TD passes, has completed 72 percent of his passes for 4,990 yards and 53 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He also has rushed for 351 yards and five TDs.
He is one TD pass shy of tying the NCAA record of 54 set by Houston’s David Klingler in 1990 and is 198 passing yards short of tying the WAC’s single-season record of 5,188 set by BYU’s Ty Detmer in 1990.
“When the offense is doing good, obviously the quarterback is going to get a lot of credit,” Brennan said. “I didn’t put up the numbers I did and have the success I did without the guys around me. There’s no doubt about that.”
Other Hawai‘i players named to the first team were receiver Davone Bess, running back Nate Ilaoa, offensive linemen Tala Esera and Samson Satele, defensive linemen Ikaika Alama-Francis and Melila Purcell, safety Leonard Peters and kick returner Ross Dickerson.
Broncos linebacker Korey Hall was picked as the WAC defensive player of the year and made the first team for the third year. But Boise State could also make a strong case offensive player of the year with running back Ian Johnson.
Utah State linebacker Paul Igboeli was named the WAC freshman of the year.
