Weber’s McBride named Big Sky’s top coach

By Chronicle Staff

OGDEN, Utah - Despite six bowl appearances and three conference titles during 13 years as the head coach at the University of Utah, Ron McBride never won a coach of the year award.

In his fourth season at Weber State, the 69-year-old McBride was voted the 2008 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year by his league peers on Wednesday.

McBride guided the Wildcats to arguably the best season in school history. The Wildcats claimed a share of the Big Sky regular-season title for the first time in 40 years, finishing 7-1 in league and 9-3 overall.

Weber State earned the Big Sky's automatic bid to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, which begin on Saturday with the 12th-ranked Wildcats taking on Cal Poly. It's just the school's third playoff appearance, and first since 1991.

Weber State was picked to finish fifth by the coaches and media in the preseason polls and climbed to as high as eighth in the nation after beginning the season unranked.

"This is huge for this team and the guys who work for me," McBride said of the honor. "It just says that you are doing some good stuff for the football program, and the other teams respect what you are doing. That's a huge plus."

Weber State's regular season included the program's first win over Montana in 10 seasons, a 7-0 start to conference play, and a six-game winning streak. On Tuesday, a record 12 Wildcats were named to the all-conference first team. Sophomore quarterback Cameron Higgins, a candidate for the Walter Payton Award, was named the offensive MVP, and junior running back Trevyn Smith was a unanimous first-team pick.

McBride came to Weber State in 2005 after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Kentucky. From 1990-2002, McBride was the head coach at Utah, where he compiled an 88-63. He guided the Utes to conference titles in the WAC and Mountain West Conferences, and led them to three bowl victories.

"I thought time was running out, to tell you the truth," McBride said of not having won a coach-of-the-year honor. "When you get to be 69, and you are still flailing around, that's not bad, I guess. I appreciate this. It makes me happy, and I'm happy for the program and for the kids."

McBride's record in 17 seasons as a head coach at the Division I level is 112-84. McBride went 88-63 at Utah, and is 24-21 at Weber State. He is one of just a handful of coaches to win league titles in three Division I conferences.

McBride is the fourth Weber State coach to win the honor. Current Weber State Athletics Director Jerry Graybeal won the award in 2003. Sark Arslanian was named coach of he year in 1965, and Mike Price took home the award in 1987.

GRIZ PLAYOFF GAME TO BE TELEVISED: At Missoula, the University of Montana’s first-round Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff game against the Texas State Bobcats on Saturday will be televised live by KPAX-TV of Missoula and its Montana News Station affiliates (KTVQ/Billings, KRTV/Great Falls, KXLH/Helena, KCTZ/Bozeman, KXLF/Butte and KAJ/Kalispell), announced UM athletic director Jim O'Day.

KPAX-TV sports director Phil Buck will serve as the play-by-play announcer, while former Grizzly quarterback Grady Bennett, who is now the head coach at Glacier High School in his hometown of Kalispell, will provide in-booth color commentary. Derek Buerkle will serve as a sideline reporter.

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