SAN FRANCISCO – Washington State Football Head Coach Mike Leach was named the 2018 Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year and quarterback Gardner Minshew II was named the 2018 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, the Pac-12 Conference announced Tuesday.
 
Leach earns his second Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor after sharing the honor with Stanford's David Shaw in 2015. Leach, in his seventh season at WSU, guided the Cougars to a 10-2 overall record including a 7-2 mark in conference play and earned a trip to the Valero Alamo Bowl. Washington State's 10 wins match a program record and is the first 10-win campaign since 2003. Leach saw the Cougar Air Raid offense lead the nation in passing while the defense led the conference in sacks and tied for third in takeaways. Leach is the third Cougar head coach to earn two Conference Coach of the Year awards, joining Jim Walden and Mike Price.
 
Minshew II is the first Cougar to win a conference yearly honor since quarterback Jason Gesser was named the Pac-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2002. Minshew II led the country in passing yards per game (373.1), total offense (381.7), 300-yard games (11), 400-yard games (six), was second in passing yards (4,477) and fifth in touchdown passes (36). The graduate senior from Brandon, Miss. also rushed for three touchdowns and led three fourth quarter game-winning drives (Utah, at Stanford, California).
 
Minshew II adds another accolade to already impressive week, winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (top senior or fourth-year junior QB) and was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team earlier today. Minshew II is also a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Davey O'Brien Award (nation's top quarterback) and the Manning Award (nation's top quarterback after the bowl season).
 
Also of note, Cougar freshman running back Max Borghi was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honorable mention after receiving votes from the Pac-12 coaches. Borghi appeared in all 12 games, scored 11 total touchdowns, good for seventh-most in the conference. The Arvada, Colo. native rushed for seven touchdowns, averaged 5.3 yards per carry and also caught 47 passes, four that went for touchdowns.