ORANGEBURG, SC – South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough has been named the 2009 Palmetto State College Coach of the Year and five Bulldogs earned a spot on the All-State team as selected by The (Columbia, SC) State newspaper and announced Wednesday.

            Pough guided SC State to a 10-2 overall record -- 8-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – its second straight MEAC title and back-to-back appearances in the FCS playoffs.

            Bulldogs named to the All-State team were running back Will Ford, wide receiver and return specialist Tre' Young, offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath, linebacker David Erby and defensive back Phillip Adams. Ford, Young and Adams are all departing seniors, while Erby and Culbreath are juniors.

            Wednesday's announcement was the second major accolade bestowed on SC State this week. On Monday, SC State was declared the 2009 National Black Champion by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network.

            Pough called Wednesday's honors from The State, the largest daily in South Carolina, tremendous.

            “It is just a tremendous honor for me, as well as for our players,” he said, “However, it's more of an honor for our program, our institution, than for me particularly.

We've had some good years here,” Pough continued, “and the honors we have reaped over the last few days are somewhat of a testimony that we have continued to improve as a program. It also means that we have been somewhat successful in what we are trying to do, and a lot of people share in that success.”

Clemson's C.J. Spiller, who joined Ford at running back on the All-State squad, was named Offensive Player of the Year, while South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood took Defensive Player of the Year accolades.

SC State led the team with five selections, while Clemson and USC had four each. The Citadel, Benedict, Furman, Newberry, Wofford, Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern all placed two players on the squad and North Greenville and Presbyterian one each.

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