Pac-10 Honors Erickson, Tuiasosopo

Dennis Erickson, who led Oregon State to one of the most exciting seasons in school history, was named the Pac-10 coach of the year.

Washington quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo was named the conference’s offensive player of the year, and Arizona State linebacker Adam Archuleta was the top defensive player. Sun Devil defensive end Terrell Suggs was the conference’s freshman of the year.

The Pac-10 also named its all-conference teams. Washington, which will represent the conference in the Rose Bowl, and Oregon State each put five players on the first team, with Arizona State placing four.

The first team included three UCLA players: Mitchell, running back DeShaun Foster and defensive back Ricky Manning.

USC, which tied for last in the Pac-10, failed to place any players on the all-conference first team for the first time since 1957.

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Frank Beamer is staying at Virginia Tech.

Beamer said he will remain coach of the sixth-ranked Hokies, ending a wild 1 1/2 days that included a visit with North Carolina Athletic Director Dick Baddour, a widely reported job offer from the Tar Heels for as much as $1.4 million and a series of meetings with Virginia Tech officials.

Beamer’s success at Virginia Tech has made him a frequent target of other programs, with Clemson and Alabama among the schools that have courted him.

He was the near-consensus national coach of the year last season after leading the Hokies to an 11-0 regular-season record and the national championship game, a 45-29 loss to Florida State.

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Miami Coach Butch Davis will interview this week for the vacant coaching job at Alabama.

Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore spoke with Davis by telephone on Sunday and said he hopes for a face-to-face meeting in the “early to middle” part of the week. He said no location or time had been set, and that he had not met with any candidates in person.

Moore also said he hoped to speak to another candidate by phone Monday but would not disclose that person’s identity.

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Arizona Coach Dick Tomey said he didn’t decide to resign until the final moments of the Wildcats’ loss to Arizona State on Friday, when he saw his players defending him to fans. “I’m a very emotional person, and I thought it was the right thing to do,” Tomey told the Tucson Citizen. “You make decisions as a cumulative thing. They’re being made all the time and you confirm them in your mind as best you can.” . . . Kansas Coach Terry Allen, under increasing criticism from fans after the team’s disappointing 4-7 finish, fired defensive coordinator Ardell Wiegandt and offensive line coach Walt Klinker. . . . Brandon Ford, a junior tight end at Missouri, was arrested after authorities found approximately 50 pounds of marijuana at his home.

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COMPLETE TEAM, D10