Washington State University Athletics
Leach Named AP Pac-12 Coach of Year, Six Cougars Recognized
December 18, 2015 | Football
PULLMAN, Wash. – Six Washington State Cougars earned All-Pac-12 Conference recognition and Mike Leach was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year by the Associated Press Friday.
Quarterback Luke Falk, wide receiver Gabe Marks and offensive lineman Eduardo Middleton were named to the All-Pac-12 Conference First Team while offensive lineman Joe Dahl, safety Shalom Luani and defensive lineman Darryl Paulo earned second-team honors.
Leach, who was selected the Pac-12 Conference Co-Coach of the Year with Stanford's David Shaw by the league's coaches, guided the Cougars to an 8-4 record this season, 6-3 in Pac-12 play, both marks the best at WSU since the 2003 season when WSU went 10-3 and 6-2, respectively. The Cougars, selected fifth in the Pac-12 North Division's preseason media poll, have posted road victories over Rutgers, Oregon, Arizona and No. 18 UCLA. The win at Oregon was the first over the Ducks since the 2006 season while the Cougars hadn't defeated UCLA since 2007. Additionally, the Cougars achieved a top 20 national ranking following the win over Colorado, the first top 20 ranking since the 2003 season for WSU.
Leach was named a semifinalist for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, one of 18 coaches named. He has guided a Cougar program that leads the nation in passing offense at 397.0 yards per game, and also leads the nation in red zone offense, converting on 94.3 percent of their opportunities inside the 20-yard line.
Previously, Leach has been named the George Munger National Coach of the Year in 2008, while also receiving the Woody Hayes Award, Howie Long/Fieldturf National Coach of the Year, and Big 12 Coach of the Year in that same season. Leach is the first Cougar coach to receive Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors since Bill Doba in 2003. In all five WSU coaches have received the honor, the others being Jim Walden (1981, 1983), Dennis Erickson (1988), Mike Price (1997, 2001) and Doba.
Falk, a redshirt sophomore from Logan, Utah, leads the nation in passing at 387.8 yards per game, while ranking first in the Pac-12 in total offense (377.5) and second in the conference in passing touchdowns (36). This season Falk has earned three Pac-12 Player of the Week honors, owns four of the top five single-game passing marks in the conference and guided the Cougars to come-from-behind victories at Rutgers and Oregon, against Arizona State and at No. 18 UCLA. Falk named one of 15 "Players to Watch" for The Walter Camp Football Foundation 2015 Player of the Year award last month, one of two Pac-12 players on the list.
Marks, a redshirt-junior from Venice, Calif., leads the conference in receptions (99), touchdown receptions (14), and is second in receiving yards per game (93.8). He tied a Pac-12 record with four receiving touchdowns in a win at Arizona, had four games of 10-plus receptions, four games with 100-plus yards, and became WSU's all-time career receptions leader earlier in the season. He was a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, one of only two from the Pac-12, while setting a WSU single-season record with 14 receiving touchdowns.
Middleton, a redshirt-junior from Oceanside, Calif., picked up his first career all-conference accolade after starting all 12 games at right guard, helping protect the nation's top-ranked passing team for the second-straight season. Middleton earned the WSU "Bone" award, given to the top Cougar offensive lineman following a win, twice following victories for Oregon State and Arizona State.
Dahl, a redshirt senior from Spokane, Wash., was named a Second-Team All-American by the USA Today and to the All-Pac-12 First Team. He anchored the left side of the Cougar offensive line for the first eight games of the 2015 season, helping protect the nation's top-ranked passing team for the second-straight season.
Paulo received his first all-conference award in his final season by leading the Cougars in tackles-for-loss (12.0) and tied for the team lead in sacks (6.0). A native of Sacramento, Calif., the redshirt senior ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in TFLs and had a season-high two sacks in WSU's win over Oregon State in October.
Luani, a junior from Masausi, American Samoa, is in his first season as WSU's starting safety after transferring from San Francisco City College. Luani has registered 86 tackles, third on the team, with grabbing three interceptions, one he took for a touchdown against Oregon State.
Quarterback Luke Falk, wide receiver Gabe Marks and offensive lineman Eduardo Middleton were named to the All-Pac-12 Conference First Team while offensive lineman Joe Dahl, safety Shalom Luani and defensive lineman Darryl Paulo earned second-team honors.
Leach, who was selected the Pac-12 Conference Co-Coach of the Year with Stanford's David Shaw by the league's coaches, guided the Cougars to an 8-4 record this season, 6-3 in Pac-12 play, both marks the best at WSU since the 2003 season when WSU went 10-3 and 6-2, respectively. The Cougars, selected fifth in the Pac-12 North Division's preseason media poll, have posted road victories over Rutgers, Oregon, Arizona and No. 18 UCLA. The win at Oregon was the first over the Ducks since the 2006 season while the Cougars hadn't defeated UCLA since 2007. Additionally, the Cougars achieved a top 20 national ranking following the win over Colorado, the first top 20 ranking since the 2003 season for WSU.
Leach was named a semifinalist for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, one of 18 coaches named. He has guided a Cougar program that leads the nation in passing offense at 397.0 yards per game, and also leads the nation in red zone offense, converting on 94.3 percent of their opportunities inside the 20-yard line.
Previously, Leach has been named the George Munger National Coach of the Year in 2008, while also receiving the Woody Hayes Award, Howie Long/Fieldturf National Coach of the Year, and Big 12 Coach of the Year in that same season. Leach is the first Cougar coach to receive Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors since Bill Doba in 2003. In all five WSU coaches have received the honor, the others being Jim Walden (1981, 1983), Dennis Erickson (1988), Mike Price (1997, 2001) and Doba.
Falk, a redshirt sophomore from Logan, Utah, leads the nation in passing at 387.8 yards per game, while ranking first in the Pac-12 in total offense (377.5) and second in the conference in passing touchdowns (36). This season Falk has earned three Pac-12 Player of the Week honors, owns four of the top five single-game passing marks in the conference and guided the Cougars to come-from-behind victories at Rutgers and Oregon, against Arizona State and at No. 18 UCLA. Falk named one of 15 "Players to Watch" for The Walter Camp Football Foundation 2015 Player of the Year award last month, one of two Pac-12 players on the list.
Marks, a redshirt-junior from Venice, Calif., leads the conference in receptions (99), touchdown receptions (14), and is second in receiving yards per game (93.8). He tied a Pac-12 record with four receiving touchdowns in a win at Arizona, had four games of 10-plus receptions, four games with 100-plus yards, and became WSU's all-time career receptions leader earlier in the season. He was a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, one of only two from the Pac-12, while setting a WSU single-season record with 14 receiving touchdowns.
Middleton, a redshirt-junior from Oceanside, Calif., picked up his first career all-conference accolade after starting all 12 games at right guard, helping protect the nation's top-ranked passing team for the second-straight season. Middleton earned the WSU "Bone" award, given to the top Cougar offensive lineman following a win, twice following victories for Oregon State and Arizona State.
Dahl, a redshirt senior from Spokane, Wash., was named a Second-Team All-American by the USA Today and to the All-Pac-12 First Team. He anchored the left side of the Cougar offensive line for the first eight games of the 2015 season, helping protect the nation's top-ranked passing team for the second-straight season.
Paulo received his first all-conference award in his final season by leading the Cougars in tackles-for-loss (12.0) and tied for the team lead in sacks (6.0). A native of Sacramento, Calif., the redshirt senior ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in TFLs and had a season-high two sacks in WSU's win over Oregon State in October.
Luani, a junior from Masausi, American Samoa, is in his first season as WSU's starting safety after transferring from San Francisco City College. Luani has registered 86 tackles, third on the team, with grabbing three interceptions, one he took for a touchdown against Oregon State.
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