PSU's Bone named top Big Sky Coach

Portland State head coach Ken Bone was named the 2007-08 Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year on Tuesday.

Bone, 49, is in his third season with the Vikings. He just led them to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after the Vikings defeated Northern Arizona 67-51 last week to capture their first Big Sky Championship.

The selection committee for the award is made up of the Big Sky’s nine head coaches. It is the first time a Portland State men’s basketball coach has won Coach of the Year.

Bone guided PSU to a school-record 23 wins and nine losses, and the Vikings were crowned regular-season champs after going 14-2 in league play.

During his tenure at Seattle Pacific (1990-2002), Bone was named PacWest coach of the year during the 1999-2000 season. This is his 16th season as a head coach, and during that span he compiled a 312-156 record. He also was an assistant coach at Washington from 2002-06.

Portland State has already garnered many accolades this season. Bone’s Coach of the Year honor is the fifth major postseason award won by a Viking, as junior guard Jeremiah Dominguez was named both conference MVP and Newcomer of the Year, senior center Scott Morrison earned Defensive Player of the Year, and senior guard Deonte Huff captured MVP at the Big Sky Championship.

The Vikings were originally picked to finish third in the Big Sky, but after a spectacular season they now head to Omaha, Neb., where they will face top-seeded Kansas in the opening-round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is slated for 10:25 a.m. on CBS.