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CHARLESTON, Ill. -- After leading Eastern Illinois women's rugby to its third undefeated season and extending the program-record win streak to 26 consecutive games, Frank Graziano has been selected as The Daily Eastern News Coach of the Year for 2009-10.

Graziano's 11th season featured four shutout victories as well as thrilling home wins against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (29-27) and Northern Iowa (22-20). The Panthers have not lost since September 2007.

The Daily Eastern News is EIU's student newspaper. Eastern Illinois is the only school in the Ohio Valley Conference with a daily a student newspaper and has the second smallest enrollment of any university in the country with a daily student paper.

Graziano Taking Right Steps for Rugby >>> Complete Story
By Kevin Murphy

Frank Graziano says the Eastern women's rugby program wouldn't be anywhere without the players.

From time to time, he shares a widely unknown fact - he wouldn't be able to play rugby at their age.

"I'm not sure I'd have the courage to do what you did," Graziano tells his players.

"You all have honored me by saying 'yes,'" he said. "It'd be easy not to say yes. I treat that with the greatest respect. (Playing) rugby takes a lot of courage. I wasn't ready, they are."

Graziano has led the Panthers to back-to-back undefeated seasons and has the team on a 26-game winning streak as the program enters the 2010 season in the fall. For those reasons he is The Daily Eastern News Coach of the Year.

Graziano tries to admit how much he loves his players playing a sport, in which no one has any clue how to play. Eastern is the only NCAA Division I school to sponsor the sport, and most players had never heard of the sport before stepping onto Eastern's campus or receiving a letter from Graziano. >>> Read the rest at DENnews.com

2009-10 Honorable Mention
Tom Akers, Men's & Women's Track and Field
Brady Sallee, Women's Basketball
Bob Spoo, Football

Past Coach of the Year Winners
2009: Jim Schmitz, Baseball
2008: Brady Sallee, Women's Basketball