2002 Sun Belt Conference football season
The 2002 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 2nd college football season for the Sun Belt Conference. During the 2002 season, seven schools competed in Sun Belt football: Arkansas State, Idaho, Louisiana–Lafayette, Louisiana–Monroe, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State and North Texas.[1]
| 2002 Sun Belt Conference football season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) |
| Sport | football |
| Duration | August 25, 2002 - November 30, 2002 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| 2003 NFL Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Charles Tillman (Louisiana–Lafayette) |
| Picked by | Chicago Bears, 35th overall |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | North Texas |
| Runners-up | New Mexico State |
| Season MVP | Brandon Kennedy |
| Top scorer | Danny Smith (84 points) |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Texas $ | 6 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico State | 5 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas State | 3 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee | 2 | – | 4 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana–Lafayette | 2 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana–Monroe | 2 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho | 1 | – | 5 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The conference title was won by North Texas, in its second year as both a Sun Belt member, making them the first team to go back-to-back in Sun Belt Conference history.
Coaches
Note: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season
| Team | Head coach | Years at school | Overall record | Record at school | Sun Belt record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State | Steve Roberts | 0 | 47–35–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Idaho | Tom Cable | 1 | 6–16 | 6–16 | 1–5 |
| Louisiana–Lafayette | Rickey Bustle | 0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Bobby Keasler | 3 | 86–59–2 | 8–25 | 2–4 |
| Middle Tennessee | Andy McCollum | 3 | 17–16 | 17–16 | 5–1 |
| New Mexico State | Tony Samuel | 5 | 19–37 | 19–37 | 4–2 |
| North Texas | Darrell Dickey | 4 | 13–32 | 13–32 | 5–1 |
Bowl games
In 2002, the SBC placed one team in bowl games through their tie-ins: North Texas.[2] New Mexico State was also bowl-eligible but did not receive a bowl invitation.
Note: All times are local
| Bowl | Date | SBC team (Record) | Opponent (Record) | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Bowl | December 17 | North Texas (7-5) | Cincinnati (7-6) | Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA | ESPN2 | W 24–19 | 19,024 |
Players of the Year
2001 Sun Belt Player of the Year awards[3]
| Award | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Brandon Kennedy | North Texas |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Danny Smith | Arkansas State |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Brandon Kennedy | North Texas |
| Freshman of the Year | Paul Dombrowski | New Mexico State |
| Newcomer of the Year | Jonathan Burke | Arkansas State |
| Coach of the Year | Darrell Dickey | North Texas |
References
- "2014 Sun Belt Football Media Guide". Sun Belt Conference. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
- Steve Peloquin (August 21, 2013). "N.O. Bowl, Sun Belt Conference Agree To Extension". www.espn1420.com. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- "Sun Belt Player of the Year Winners". www.sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 9, 2017.