March 7, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (www.ucfathletics.com) - After leading the Golden Knights to a second-place finish in the league standings, UCF's Kirk Speraw was named the 2006-07 Conference USA Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, the league office announced on Wednesday morning. Speraw was presented with the award at a press conference at the C-USA Championship presented by Aeropostale at the FedEx Forum.
In UCF's (22-8) second campaign in C-USA, Speraw guided the Golden Knights to an 11-5 mark in league play this year. With its second-place conference finish, UCF earned a first-round bye at the C-USA Championship, which starts today.
The Golden Knights will face No. 7 Rice or No. 10 UTEP in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern.
UCF was tabbed seventh in the league's preseason poll in November. C-USA's 12 head coaches vote for the coach of the year award.
Speraw's Golden Knights are one of the most improved squads in the nation this season. UCF went 14-15 overall and 7-7 in league action in 2005-06. The Golden Knights concluded the regular season in strong fashion, going 7-2 in their last nine contests.
UCF's 22 regular-season victories were the second-most in program history. The squad went 15-1 in Orlando this year and began the campaign 6-0 for the first time since UCF joined the Division I ranks prior to the 1984-85 season. Under Speraw's guidance, the Golden Knights have not lost back-to-back games this year, going 8-0 after a loss.
In his 14th year at the school, Speraw has led UCF to 106 victories dating back to the start of the 2002-03 season, a mark that ranks 30th nationally and second among all programs in Florida during the span. UCF has averaged 21 victories over the last five years. Since leaving the Atlantic Sun Conference for C-USA prior to last year, the Golden Knights have posted 18 league victories, the most of the six programs that joined the conference with UCF.
The coach of the year honor is the first for Speraw. He is the first UCF mentor to earn a coach of the year award since 1983-84, when Chuck Machock was recognized by the Sunshine State Conference.
Speraw has recorded 231 victories at UCF. He has led the program to all four of its trips to the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level. The Golden Knights have appeared in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments. Speraw is one of only 20 coaches nationally who have spent at least 13 years with their current school.
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