After one of the best seasons in Weber State University history, the Utah Sports Commission has named Weber State University head football coach Jay Hill 2017 Utah Coach of the Year.

Hill will receive the honor in the Governor’s State of Sport Awards event, an annual celebration of Utah’s sports industry that honors remarkable achievements in high school, amateur, collegiate, Olympic and professional sports.8

This is the second consecutive year in which a Wildcat has received an award, as Joel Bolomboy was deemed the top collegiate male by the Utah Sports Commission in 2016.

Since Hill took over as head coach for Weber State, the football program has experienced a steady rise both visually and statistically.

In every season with Hill at the helm, the Wildcats have improved their record, resulting in playoff appearances in both 2016 and 2017. This momentum culminated most recently with a school-record 11 wins in 2017.

Weber State finished the 2017 season ranked fifth in the nation, the highest ranking in school history. In 2017, the Wildcats finished 11–3 overall with a Big Sky Conference title before losing to the nation’s No. 1 FCS team James Madison by three points.

Eight Wildcats earned All-American honors, which also set a school record for most in one season. Overall, 17 Wildcats earned Big Sky All-Conference honors in 2017.

In his time at Weber State, Hill has coached 10 All-Americans and helped 51 Wildcat players earn Big Sky All-Conference honors

Weber State decided to keep Hill around for the foreseeable future, as the school signed him to an extension through the 2023 season. This adds two additional years to a five-year extension previously signed by Hill in January of 2017.

The Utah Sports Commission will honor Hill and others in an awards banquet at 7 p.m. on April 18, at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.