The Associated Press (AP) has voted Syracuse head football coach Dino Babers the co-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coach of the Year along with Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Syracuse University said in a Tuesday news release.
Babers led the Orange to a 9-3 regular-season record and a berth in the Camping World Bowl on Dec. 28.
Syracuse was picked to finish last in the ACC Atlantic Division during the preseason. But the team posted a 6-2 league record and finished second in the division behind No. 2 Clemson. The Orange made the national polls for the first time since 2001 and are one of three Power Five conference teams that have increased their win total by five from last season. Baylor and Florida are the others.
A vote of 14 sports writers who regularly cover the ACC for newspapers or broadcast outlets determined the award winners.
Tuesday’s announcement came a week after the ACC announced that Swinney was named ACC Coach of the Year, with Babers finishing 2nd in the voting, by a panel of the 14 ACC head coaches and a select panel of 46 media members
The 20th-ranked Orange will battle No. 16 West Virginia (8-3) in the 2018 Camping World Bowl in Orlando, Florida on Dec. 28 at 5:15 p.m.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com