Dorsey, Coker Win Victor Awards
July 9, 2002
Las Vegas, NV (hurricanesports.com) – Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey was named College Football Player of the Year, and Hurricane head football coach Larry Coker was named College Football Coach of the Year at the 36th Annual Academy of Victor Sports Awards in Las Vegas, NV.
Dorsey, one of the leading candidates for the 2002 Heisman Trophy, completed 184 of 318 passes last season for 2652 yards and 23 touchdowns in leading the Hurricanes to a 12-0 record and the 2001 National Championship. The 2001 Maxwell Award winner was named Co-MVP of the Rose Bowl after completing 22 of 35 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ 37-14 win over Nebraska in the National Championship game.
Coker, the 2001 Paul “Bear” Bryant and AFCA Coach of the Year, became just the second rookie head coach, and the first in 53 years, to lead his team to the National Championship. The Hurricanes finished a perfect 12-0 last season marking the first time a first year coach at UM finished 12-0. Coker was also honored last season as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year.
The Victor Sports Awards, the longest running televised sports awards show, benefits the City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute. The City of Hope is a National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located in the Greater Los Angeles area, and is one of the world’s leading research and treatment centers for cancer and other serious diseases including diabetes and HIV.
Fox Sports Net televised the event, which will be rebroadcast on the network. Check local listings for dates and times.
In all, the Victor Awards featured 35 categories in 15 sports. The award winners were voted on by the National Academy of Sports Editors, comprised of a cross section of sports editors, writers and broadcasters.
2002 Victor Sports Awards Winners:
Pro Baseball Player — Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants Rookie — Alber Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals Manager — Bob Brenly, Arizona Diamondbacks Comeback — Matt Morris, St. Louis Cardinals
Pro Basketball (Male) Player — Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets Rookie — Shane Battier, Memphis Grizzlies Coach — Byron Scott, New Jersey Nets Comeback — Kenyon Martin, New Jersey Nets
Pro Basketball (Female) Player — Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks Coach — Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Sparks
College Basketball (Male) Player — Jay Williams, Duke University COACH – Gary Williams, University of Maryland
College Basketball (Female) Player — Sue Bird, University of Connecticut Coach — Gino Auriemma, University of Connecticut
Pro Football Player — Jeff Garcia, San Francisco 49ers Rookie — Anthony Thomas, Chicago Bears Coach — Dick Jauron, Chicago Bears Comeback — Garrison Hearst, San Francisco 49ers
College Football Player — Ken Dorsey, University of Miami Coach — Larry Coker, University of Miami
Pro Hockey Player — Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames Rookie — Dany Heatley, Atlanta Thrashers Coach — Scotty Bowman, Detroit Red Wings Comeback — Michael Peca, New York Islanders
Boxer of the Year — Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Track & Field Male Athlete — John Godina Female Athlete — Stacy Dragila
Pro Tennis Male — Lleyton Hewitt Female — Lindsay Davenport
Pro Golf Male Player — Tiger Woods Female Player — Annika Sorenstam Senior Golf — Allen Doyle
Auto Racing Driver Jeff Gordon — NASCAR
Horse Racing Jockey Jerry Bailey
Soccer Player Jeff Agoos, San Jose Earthquake
Special Achievement Awards Terry Bradshaw — Hall of Fame Inductee Joe Morgan — Honda Civic Performance Award Dick Enberg — Walter Payton “Sweetness Award” Jerry Colangelo — Barron Hilton Award Eric Weihenmayer — First blind person to climb Mt. Everest Winter Olympians: Jimmy Shea, Jr., Tristan Gale, Derek Parra, Casey FitzRandolph, Apolo Anton Ohno, Vanetta Flowers, Jill Bakken, Ross Powers, Kelly Clark
