Aug. 21, 2008

GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina University head coaches Tracey Kee (softball), Mack McCarthy (men's basketball), Press McPhaul (men's golf) and Shawn Heinchon (men's tennis) will each receive a one-month salary bonus after their teams were awarded the 2008 Conference USA Sport Academic Award according to an announcement from ECU Director of Athletics Terry Holland Thursday.

The Sport Academic Award is given to the team in each conference-sponsored sport with the highest grade point average (GPA) for the academic year.

"All of our coaches and student-athletes are highly-motivated to win championships on the fields and courts, and we reward those efforts," Holland said. "These awards ensure that we are sending a consistent message that we also place great value on academic championships and the individual classroom success of our student-athletes."

The men's tennis team had the highest GPA of any Conference USA team in any sport as it posted a 3.692 team mark. The men's golf team compiled a 3.506 GPA, softball amassed a 3.257 and men's basketball accrued a 2.781. Unlike a number of other head coaches on the ECU staff, Kee, McCarthy, McPhaul and Heinchon did not have academic bonuses written into their contracts for the 2007-08 season.

A total of 192 ECU student-athletes made the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll by accumulating a GPA of 3.0 or better, while 36 student-athletes received the C-USA Academic Medal for having a GPA of 3.75 or better.