Sunday, May 31, 2015

Bronco Coach of the Year

 
Tina Bird and Neil Resnick, Gymnastics
Bird and Resnick helped Boise State to a #15 national ranking and the Mountain Rim Conference Championship.  The Broncos were highly decorated at the championship, with Kelsey Morris (All-Around), Ciera Perkins (Vault and Floor), Maddie Krentz (Vault), Krystine Jackobsen (Uneven Bars), Diana Meija (Uneven Bars) and Ann Stockwell (Vault) all earning All-Conference honors.  Boise State advanced to the Regional Championships, where they placed fourth.  Morris was selected as an at-large competitor for the NCAA Championships, and she placed 26th.



Bryan Harsin, Football
In his first season as Head Coach, Harsin rescued the Broncos from the depths of the past two years.  Despite losing one of the school's all-time leading receivers early in the season (Matt Miller), Harsin led Boise State to nine consecutive victories, including a 28-14 win over Fresno State in the Mountain West Championship and a 38-30 victory over #10 Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl.  Boise State finished the season ranked #15.  Running back Jay Ajayi, center Marcus Henry, defensive end Kamalei Correa and safety Darian Thompson were named All-Mountain West Conference.  Ajayi also earned 2nd Team All-America honors from USA Today, while Thompson was selected 2nd Team All-America by CBS Sports.com.  Harsin was named as a national finalist in three Coach of the Year Awards:  the Bear Bryant, the Eddie Robinson, and the Dodd.   

 
Corey Ihmels, Cross Country
Ihmels led the Boise State women to a second-place showing while the Bronco men took fourth at the Mountain West Championships.  Emma Bates and David Elliott won individual titles and were named Female and Male Athlete of the Year and All-Mountain West.  Marisa Howard also earned All-Mountain West honors for the Bronco women, while Emma Hyyppa was named Women's Freshman Athlete of the Year and Andrew Rafla was honored as Men's Freshman Athlete of the Year by the conference.  Ihmels then took his team to the Cross Country National Championships, where the women finished 11th in the nation.  Bates finished third in the country, and both she and Howard earned All-America honors.


 
Greg Patton, Men's Tennis
Patton took a team that went 12-15 in the regular season into the Mountain West Championships.  Boise State proceeded to beat Fresno State 4-0, then they upset top seed New Mexico 4-2 and topped Nevada 4-3 to win their fourth consecutive Mountain West championship.  Garrett Patton earned All-Mountain West honors in singles, and Thomas Tenreiro and Lewis Roskilly were tabbed All-Conference in doubles.  The Broncos earned the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Championships, where they lost 4-0 to South Florida.


Gordy Presnell, Women's Basketball
Presnell guided the Lady Broncos to a 22-11 mark, including a Mountain West championship with a 66-60 win over New Mexico.  During the season, guard Deanna Weaver was named All-Mountain West Conference, while in the tournament, Brooke Pahukoa and Yaiza Ortego Rodriguez were both named to the All-Tournament team and Pahukoa was chosen as the Most Valuable Player.  Boise State earned the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, where they lost 72-61 to #15 Tennessee.  Weaver was chosen to the All Region 17 Team in a vote by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.


Leon Rice, Men's Basketball
After an early-season injury to leading scorer Anthony Drmic, Rice guided the Broncos to a 25-9 record, including a Mountain West Conference championship in the regular season.  Guard Derrick Marks earned All-Mountain West honors, while James Webb III was named Top Newcomer of the Year and Rice earned Mountain West Coach of the Year honors.  Boise State was upset in the semifinals of the Mountain West postseason tournament by Wyoming.  Forward Nick Duncan was named to the All-Tournament Team.  Boise State earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the opening round to Dayton.  During the year, Rice helped Boise State to its highest ranking in school history--#25.  Marks was named to the All-District 17 team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, while Rice was named District 17 Coach of the Year.