Weber State's Randy Rahe, center, was named the Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.
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OGDEN, UTAH (March 16, 2010) - For the second consecutive season and the third time in four years, Weber State’s Randy Rahe has been selected as the Big Sky Conference men’s basketball Coach of the Year.
The nine Big Sky coaches selected the winner, and the results were released by the league office on Tuesday.
Rahe guided the Wildcats to the regular-season title for a second straight season and a third time in four seasons. Weber State finished the regular season 13-3 in conference and 19-9 overall.
Weber State started the season 1-4, but rallied to win 19 of its next 25 games. Twice during the conference season, the Wildcats won five straight games.
Weber State held the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage in the Big Sky Tournament. The Wildcats beat Portland State 69-60 in the semifinals, but fell to No. 4 Montana 66-65 in the championship game.
Rahe and the Wildcats will battle Cincinnati on Wednesday in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament.
Weber State sophomore Damian Lillard was a unanimous selection as the conference MVP, and was also named to the All-Conference first team a second straight season. Junior Franklin Session earned Newcomer of the Year, and was named to the All-Conference second team along with WSU senior center Steve Panos.
The native of Bancroft, Iowa, has compiled a 49-15 conference record and is 77-46 in his four seasons. The Wildcats have gone 28-4 in regular-season conference games the past two seasons.
Rahe was also named Coach of the Year following the 2006-07 and 2008-09 seasons. Rahe has led Weber State to the NCAA Tournament once, and to the NIT twice.
Rahe is the fifth coach in league history to win the honor three times. He joins Weber State’s Phil Johnson, Neil McCarthy and Rob Abegglen, as well as Boise State’s Bobby Dye and Montana State’s Mick Durham as three-time winners. No coach has won the award four times.
Rahe is the seventh coach in league history, but the first to win the honor in back-to-back years since Abegglen in 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Rahe is assisted by Eric Duft, Tim Gardner and Charles Harral. Phil Beckner is the director of football operations.
Prior to taking over at Weber State, Rahe served as an assistant coach at Utah, Utah State and Colorado State, Denver and Colorado.