Three days after accepting a bid to the school's first bowl game since the 2007 Orange Bowl, the Louisville Cardinals received accolades from the Big East Conference.
Head coach Charlie Strong was named Co-Coach of the Year, while redshirt freshman Hakeem Smith was tabbed as the league's Rookie of the Year.
Strong shares the award with Connecticut's Randy Edsall, whose team won the league and will make the school's first BCS appearance.
Picked to finish last in the Big East by the media, Strong led the Cardinals to a 6-6 record and a 3-4 conference record, a two-game turnaround for overall wins and in the league. Louisville was 4-8 and 1-6 in the Big East last season. Strong is the first Louisville head coach to win the award since the Cardinals joined the league in 2005.
Smith, a defensive back, won the top-rookie honor after leading the Cardinals in tackles with 80. He is the first Cardinal to win the award since Victor Anderson was tabbed in 2008. Smith, who also earned second team All-League honors, had five games of seven or more tackles, including a career-best 13 in a win over Syracuse.
After having just one player earn second team honors last season, Louisville put four on the first team in offensive guard Mark Wetterer, running back Bilal Powell, tight end Cameron Graham and cornerback Johnny Patrick. Offensive tackle Byron Stingily joins Smith on the second team.
The Cardinals will play Southern Mississippi in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on Tuesday December 21st at 8:00 PM.
