EWU’s Jim Hayford, Sac State’s Brian Katz share Big Sky coach-of-year honors

Success is its own reward, but recognition is nice, too – especially when it comes from your peers.

Three days after leading Eastern Washington to its most successful regular season as a Division I program, basketball coach Jim Hayford was named Tuesday as the Co-Coach of the Year in the Big Sky Conference.

“I am just really grateful because what it recognizes is how hard our staff has worked to get the program to where it’s at,” said Hayford, whose Eagles open conference tournament play Thursday morning against Idaho in Missoula.

In his fourth year as coach, Hayford has led the Eagles to a 23-8 overall record and a 14-4 mark in the Big Sky that was good enough to tie Montana for the regular-season title.

“When you get recognized by your peers, it means so much,” said Hayford, who shared the award with his longtime friend, Brian Katz of Sacramento State.

This year’s triumphs have included victories over six different NCAA Division I conferences, including road wins at Indiana, San Francisco and Seattle. Eastern has been ranked as high as 12th in the national mid-major poll, and as high as 50th in the RPI.

The Eagles are 89th this week; more importantly, they’re three wins away from the program’s second appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Eastern will be trying to join the 2003-04 EWU squad in advancing to the NCAA tournament. The 2002-03 team advanced to the NIT for EWU’s only other national postseason appearance in 32 seasons as a member of NCAA Division I.

“This is a great honor,’ said Hayford, who is now 317-146 (.685) in his 15-plus seasons as a collegiate head coach. “I am also pleased that it shines a light on the great work done by the members of our coaching staff, who are tireless workers. Above all, players win games and our players won enough games that we could be recognized.”

Steve Aggers (1998, 2000) and Ray Giacoletti (2004) have previously won Big Sky Coach of the Year honors for the Eagles since joining the Big Sky Conference in the 1987-88 season. The 2000 and 2004 teams are the only others to win regular-season Big Sky titles in school history, and the 2004 squad is the only BSC tournament winner.

In 10 previous seasons at Whitworth, Hayford was the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year five times, and twice was honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches as the West Region Coach of the Year.