Price Wins Another Top Honor

Washington State coach Mike Price has won another award this season, with The Sporting News naming him coach of the year.

The Football Writers Association this week named Price national coach of the year. Earlier he was named Pac-10 coach of the year.

All for leading WSU to a 10-1 record and its first trip to the Rose Bowl in 67 years.

“Price has won at a place where many said you can’t,” The Sporting News said.

The root of his success has been an ability to deal well with players, The Sporting News said. Price is always listening to his players, soliciting their input in hopes of running a harmonious and successful team. Each week, Price meets with player representatives from each class who help him make decisions on topics such as what color combination the team’s uniforms will be that Saturday.

Citing his defining performance against Ohio State, the magazine named Michigan cornerback Rod Woodson its player of the year.

Irv Sigler, who averaged 203.8 yards per game at Bloomsburg, in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, won the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the top player in Division II.

Sigler finished with 2,038 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns.

Three Huskies considering NFL

The Washington Huskies will have Brock Huard at quarterback and two All-Americas - center Olin Kreutz and guard Benji Olson - for the Aloha Bowl.

After that, who knows?

Huard, a third-year sophomore, and Kreutz and Olson, both juniors, are looking into playing in the NFL next season. The Huskies have submitted their names to the league to find out how the trio would do in April’s draft.

Washington coach Jim Lambright said it was possible he could lose them all.

He said salaries in the NFL are so large that as a coach he tries to think in terms of the athlete involved and his earning power.

“That’s why you want to go out and let the NFL survey the teams and say, ‘Here’s where we see where he would go’ (in the draft),” Lambright said.

“If the millions are that much, then you probably don’t have an arguing point.”

Ark. St. wants back in Big West

Two years ago, the Big West Conference kicked out Arkansas State because it participated only in football. Now, Arkansas State wants its membership back.

The Arkansas State University Board of Trustees voted Friday to rejoin the Big West for football. Arkansas State will remain in the Sun Belt for all other sports.

Dennis Bickmeier, spokesman for the Big West Conference, said Friday discussions had occurred with Arkansas State, but no formal invitation was issued.

Les Wyatt, president of Arkansas State University, said the university plans to play in the Big West for the 1999 or 2000 season.

Auburn sweetens Bowden’s pact

Auburn is giving coach Terry Bowden a $20,000 raise and performance incentives for success on and off the football field in a contract through 2004 that could be extended even longer with a championship year.

Bowden’s base pay will increase from $135,000 to $155,000 under the new contract. Endorsement deals and other outside income would bring his annual income to an estimated $635,000.

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