Lane Kiffin named LA's Coach of the Year

LOS ANGELES -- USC football coach Lane Kiffin will be presented the prestigious 2011 Coach of the Year award during the seventh annual LA Sports Awards, presented by AT&T U-verse on March 15 at Club Nokia at L.A. Live. The LA Sports Awards are presented by the Los Angeles Sports Council to celebrate the greatest moments of the year in sports in the Los AngelesOrange County area. Despite being banned from postseason play by the NCAA, Kiffin's Trojans won 10 of 12 games, including a monumental late-November win at then-No. 4 Oregon. The Trojans also defeated rival Notre Dame and retained city bragging rights with a 50-0 thrashing over UCLA. USC finished sixth in the Associated Press Top 25 and had the best won-loss record in the Pac-12 South Division. His offense produced a 3,500-yard passer, a pair of 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000- yard rusher. The defense held 8 of its 12 opponents to 17 points or less. The Trojans had 3 All-American first teamers, 7 All-Pac-12 first teamers, the Pac-12 Morris Trophy winner, the Pac-12 Offensive and Defensive Freshmen of the Year and 5 Freshman All-American first teamers, plus finalists for the Biletnikoff, Hendricks and Manning Awards. In just two seasons as head coach, Kiffin has returned the Trojans to national prominence. He has won 72 of his games at USC (18-7). Only Howard Jones and John Robinson had more victories in their first two years as a Trojan head coach. The awards show will be televised by FOX Sports West (air dates TBA) and will include special appearances by many of the athletes and coaches whose achievements helped make 2011 such a memorable year in sports. In addition to the Coach award, the ceremony also will feature a countdown of the Top 10 moments for 2011 along with the naming of the Sportsman, Sportswoman, and Sports Executive of the Year.