Grizbacker1
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Mar 12, 7:59 PM EDT
Weber State's Rahe named coach of the year
HEENA, Mont. (AP) -- Weber State coach Randy Rahe was so busy preparing for the Wildcats' NCAA tournament game against UCLA that he hadn't heard he was the Big Sky Conference coach of the year.
He'll celebrate the award later. Right now, Rahe is concentrating on extending his first season as a head coach.
"It is a great honor. I think that award could have gone to two or three other coaches," Rahe said Monday.
Weber State got an automatic berth in the tournament by winning the Big Sky tournament. The Wildcats went 11-5 in the Big Sky, 20-11 overall, and grabbed a share of the regular season title under Rahe, a former assistant at Utah and Utah State.
He took over a team that won just 10 games in 2005-06 and finished last in the conference. Just two players who played last season returned to the team.
Rahe added 12 new players this season, including eight junior college transfers, and made Weber State just the second team in league history to win the regular-season championship a season after finishing last.
The Wildcats are a No. 15 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and will face No. 2 seed UCLA in a first-round game Thursday in Sacramento, Calif. The Bruins were favored by 19 1/2 points Monday.
"It's the perfect scenario. There's no pressure on us. UCLA has to win," Rahe said. "Our guys just have to show up and play hard and have fun."
Rahe also said he hasn't been contacted by Utah and isn't a candidate to replace Ray Giacoletti for two seasons, who resigned March 2.
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Weber State's Rahe named coach of the year
HEENA, Mont. (AP) -- Weber State coach Randy Rahe was so busy preparing for the Wildcats' NCAA tournament game against UCLA that he hadn't heard he was the Big Sky Conference coach of the year.
He'll celebrate the award later. Right now, Rahe is concentrating on extending his first season as a head coach.
"It is a great honor. I think that award could have gone to two or three other coaches," Rahe said Monday.
Weber State got an automatic berth in the tournament by winning the Big Sky tournament. The Wildcats went 11-5 in the Big Sky, 20-11 overall, and grabbed a share of the regular season title under Rahe, a former assistant at Utah and Utah State.
He took over a team that won just 10 games in 2005-06 and finished last in the conference. Just two players who played last season returned to the team.
Rahe added 12 new players this season, including eight junior college transfers, and made Weber State just the second team in league history to win the regular-season championship a season after finishing last.
The Wildcats are a No. 15 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and will face No. 2 seed UCLA in a first-round game Thursday in Sacramento, Calif. The Bruins were favored by 19 1/2 points Monday.
"It's the perfect scenario. There's no pressure on us. UCLA has to win," Rahe said. "Our guys just have to show up and play hard and have fun."
Rahe also said he hasn't been contacted by Utah and isn't a candidate to replace Ray Giacoletti for two seasons, who resigned March 2.
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
