EAST TENNESSEE MEDIA
Award-Winning Regional Journalism
Stockstill, Berry Honored by TSWA
January 19, 2009
Votes have been tabulated for the 2009 Tennessee Sports Writers Association College Football Coach and Player of the Year for the state.
TSWA Coach of the Year
Rick Stockstill, MTSU
Stockstill received more than 78 percent of the votes cast for the TSWA Coach of the Year after leading the 2009 Blue Raiders to their best season since joining the Sun Belt Conference. The Blue Raiders finished the ’09 season with a 10-3 record that included a 42-32 win over Southern Miss., in the New Orleans Bowl. Along the way, MTSU won seven consecutive games and set a Sun Belt record for conference wins (7-1). Outside of the Sun Belt, MTSU beat The University of Memphis and Maryland. The Blue Raiders won five times away from Floyd Stadium, the most since 1992, and their 10 wins were the program’s most since 1992. Stockstill was also Sun Belt Co-Coach of the Year.
TSWA College Player of the Year
Eric Berry, Tennessee
Berry received 60 percent of the votes for the TSWA Player of the Year. The junior defensive back, who will enter the NFL Draft, received this year’s Jim Thorpe Award. Berry, the Vols’ starting safety, was a first-team All-SEC and All-American selection. He had 83 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, seven pass deflections and three quarterback hurries as the Volunteers went 7-6 and advanced to a bowl game.
Source: Tennessee Sports Writers Association. East Tennessee Media.com's Steve Wilhoit and Scott Boles are members.
