Doug Marrone is not the Big East Coach of the Year.
Despite taking a team that finished 4-8 a year prior and turning them into a 7-5 bowl team. Despite bringing Syracuse its first bowl game since 2004. Despite bringing Syracuse its first winning season since 2001. Despite beating West Virginia and Cincinnati for the first time in five years. Despite beating South Florida for the first time ever. Despite winning four Big East road games since 1991...
Marrone didn't jut fall short of the award...he came in third place. Charlie Strong and Randy Edsall are your co-Coaches Of The Year.
Believe it or not, I actually don't have a problem with Strong getting a nod. In a perfect world, I would be fine with he and Marrone splitting the award. They both took perennial bottom-feeders and turned them into bowl teams. Strong did-so in his first season, one year ahead of Marrone. So I get it.
That said, Louisville finished 6-6, Syracuse finished 7-5.
As for Esdall, I think it's complete nonsense that he gets a nod. And here's why...
UConn finished 8-5 last year. In a season in which they returned 17 starters and were a trendy preseason pick to win the conference, they finished 8-4 and are almost a sure thing to end up 8-5 again when it's all said and done.
That UConn won the Big East had more to do with the conference being terrible than with UConn being an improved team. Any other season, that 8-4 (5-2) record is good for 2nd or 3rd place in the conference.
Edsall gets the award for the perception that he improved UConn season more than any improvements he actually did make. He should probably just go ahead and give the award to Dave Wannstedt, since the former Pitt coach's collapse had more to do with the Huskies rise to the top of the conference than anything.
For the record, Syracuse was picked by the Big East Media to finish 7th in the conference, Louisville 8th. The difference between them? One point. One tiny point. Otherwise, it's safe to say the Big East media thought the Orange and the Cardinals were on exactly the same level as one another. Syracuse finished with a better record and better bowl, Charlie Strong won the award over Doug Marrone. Go figure.