In his third season at Arizona, Rodriguez took the Wildcats to a 10-2 record and the Pac-12 South championship, handing Oregon its only defeat of the year along the way. The 10-win regular season was the Wildcats' first since 1998.
In a contrast ripe with irony, Rodriguez happened to be named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year the same day his replacement at Michigan, Brady Hoke, was fired as coach of the Wolverines.
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III were named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Mariota is the overwhelming Heisman Trophy favorite after posting a 36-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while Wright led the nation with 27 tackles-for-loss and finished thid with 14 sacks.
A sophomore, Wright is only the second underclassman to win the league's Defensive Player of the Year award and the first since Washington's Steve Emtman in 1990.
Oregon running back Royce Freeman was named the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 16 rushing touchdowns. USC defensive back Adoree' Jackson, a former five-star recruit, was named the Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
The league's all-conference team will be announced Tuesday night.
