Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Montana State's Tricia Binford Named Big Sky Coach of the Year for 2019-20
3/9/2020 3:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bobcat head coach earns second honor as the league's top coach
BOZEMAN, Montana – After leading Montana State to a historic 2019-20 Big Sky Conference season, Bobcat coach Tricia Binford was named the league's Coach of the Year on Monday.
The award is Binford's second – she was also honored after the 2015-16 season – but only the third in the history of the MSU program. This year's Bobcats finished the league season with a 19-1 record, the most wins and second-highest winning percentage in conference history, and enter the Big Sky Tournament with a 23-6 record. Since dropping a home game on January 9 the Cats have won 15 consecutive games, and MSU's scoring margin in league games of +17.8 is more than five-and-a-half points per game better than what any Big Sky team has managed in the last decade.
Binford joins several Bobcat players as special awards honorees this season. Senior forward Fallyn Freije earned Big Sky Player of the Year honors, guard Darian White is the Freshman of the Year, and junior guard Tori Martell is the conference's Top Reserve.
Montana State's all-time leader in coaching victories (251) and games coached (453), Binford and Judy Spoelstra (1992-93) are the only Bobcat conference coach-of-the-year honorees. Montana State's 23 wins this season is two shy of the program record, set by Binford's Big Sky regular season and tournament championship team in 2016-17 which made the program's second appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Binford and the Bobcats begin Big Sky Conference Tournament play on Tuesday at 12 noon against the Northern Colorado-Sacramento State winner.
#GoCatsGo
The award is Binford's second – she was also honored after the 2015-16 season – but only the third in the history of the MSU program. This year's Bobcats finished the league season with a 19-1 record, the most wins and second-highest winning percentage in conference history, and enter the Big Sky Tournament with a 23-6 record. Since dropping a home game on January 9 the Cats have won 15 consecutive games, and MSU's scoring margin in league games of +17.8 is more than five-and-a-half points per game better than what any Big Sky team has managed in the last decade.
Binford joins several Bobcat players as special awards honorees this season. Senior forward Fallyn Freije earned Big Sky Player of the Year honors, guard Darian White is the Freshman of the Year, and junior guard Tori Martell is the conference's Top Reserve.
Montana State's all-time leader in coaching victories (251) and games coached (453), Binford and Judy Spoelstra (1992-93) are the only Bobcat conference coach-of-the-year honorees. Montana State's 23 wins this season is two shy of the program record, set by Binford's Big Sky regular season and tournament championship team in 2016-17 which made the program's second appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Binford and the Bobcats begin Big Sky Conference Tournament play on Tuesday at 12 noon against the Northern Colorado-Sacramento State winner.
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
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