One award that should be wrapped now is the ACC COY.
It’s Tony Elliot of Virginia. Jake Dickert of Wake Forest should be recognized as the only other ACC Coach that I’ll listen to getting any votes, but it’s got to be Elliot in the end.
1) Tony Elliot – Virginia
Tony Elliot has turned Virginia into arguably the ACC’s most resilient team. Pre-season picked #14 in the ACC, Elliot has Virginia 10-2 (7-1) and in position to win the ACC Championship game and make the playoffs. Following a tough loss to Wake Forest, Virginia responded with their best game of the year, thumping Duke in Durham. Fine coaches like SMU’s Rhett Lashlee, Louisville’s Brian Brohm, former ACC Champion Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi, and Georgia Tech’s Brent Key all had shots in November to make a serious run at the ACC Championship. They all failed, where Elliot did not. They beat arch-rival Virginia Tech and find themselves in Charlotte now.
Now, everybody in the ACC is an even bigger Tony Elliot and Virginia fan because of the nightmare scenario of a 7-5 Duke winning the ACC is in play. If Elliot and Virginia can keep Duke from an ACC Title, the ACC might just give him the award next year, too.
2) Jake Dickert – Wake Forest
Wake Forest is 8-4 (4-4) and has exceeded all expectations. If they had finished 9-3, Dicket might very well have won ACC COY. Dickert has done an amazing job, and the Deacs got better with each passing week until the finale against Duke. Dickert is the only coach that you keep in the same sentence as Elliot, but this is Elliot’s award this year.
