Cook Named Michael L. Slive Male Athlete of the Year
6/24/2026 12:00:00 PM | Football
DALLAS—Former Jax State running back Cam Cook was selected as the Conference USA Michael L. Slive Male Athlete of the Year today, marking the second consecutive season the Gamecocks have produced the award recipient.
The 2025-26 marked the 23rd season that CUSA honored Male and Female Athletes of the Year, and the ninth that the awards have been named in remembrance of CUSA's founding commissioner Mike Slive following his passing. The winners are determined by a vote of the conference's athletics directors.
Cook led the FBS in total rushing and rushing per game in his lone season with the Gamecocks, posting 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Round Rock, Texas native was the Conference USA Player of the Year, rushing for over 100 yards in a game on 10 occasions. He was named to the FWAA, Associated Press, and Sporting News All-America teams and was a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.
Last year, Jaron Pierre Jr. won the honor after helping the Jax State men's basketball team reach the CUSA Championship game and make an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
Conference USA Michael L. Slive Athletes of the Year
2025-26 Cam Cook, Jax State football/Callie Bauer, WKU volleyball
2024-25 Jaron Pierre Jr., Jax State men's basketball/Rachel Roupe, Liberty softball
2023-24 Kaidon Salter, Liberty football/Savannah Wheeler, MTSU women's basketball
2022-23 Victor Kibiego, UTEP track & field/Lauren Matthews, WKU volleyball
2021-22 Bailey Zappe, WKU football/Grace Forbes, Rice cross country and track & field
2020-21 Vitor Dias, Marshall men's soccer & Kigen Chemadi, MTSU track & field/
Anastasia Hayes, MTSU women's basketball
2019-20 Javion Hamlet, North Texas men's basketball/
Erica Ogwumike, Rice women's basketball
2018-19 Jake Sanford, WKU baseball/ Erica Ogwumike, Rice women's basketball
2017-18 Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss baseball/Alyssa Cavanaugh, WKU volleyball
2016-17 Emmanuel Korir, UTEP track & field/Morgan Zerkle, Marshall softball
2015-16 Brandon Doughty, WKU football/Kylee Hanson, Florida Atlantic softball
2014-15 Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Miranda Kramer, WKU softball
2013-14 Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Ebony Rowe, MTSU basketball
2012-13 Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Aurieyall Scott, UCF track & field
2011-12 Case Keenum, Houston football/Camilla Carrera, UTEP softball
2010-11 Chad Zurcher, Memphis baseball/Tori Bowie, Southern Miss track & field
2009-10 Anthony Rendon, Rice baseball/Blessing Okagbare, UTEP track & field
2008-09 Jason Colwick, Rice track & field/
Toni Paisley, ECU softball & Sara Radosevic, Tulane volleyball
2007-08 Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis basketball/Angel Shamblin, Houston softball
2006-07 Joe Savery, Rice baseball/Ebonie Floyd, Houston track & field
2005-06 Brad Lincoln, Houston baseball & DeAngelo Williams, Memphis football/
Jillian Robbins, Tulsa basketball
2004-05 Lance Broadway, TCU baseball/Sandora Irvin, TCU basketball
2003-04 Michael Kogan, Tulane tennis/Chandi Jones, Houston basketball
The 2025-26 marked the 23rd season that CUSA honored Male and Female Athletes of the Year, and the ninth that the awards have been named in remembrance of CUSA's founding commissioner Mike Slive following his passing. The winners are determined by a vote of the conference's athletics directors.
Cook led the FBS in total rushing and rushing per game in his lone season with the Gamecocks, posting 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Round Rock, Texas native was the Conference USA Player of the Year, rushing for over 100 yards in a game on 10 occasions. He was named to the FWAA, Associated Press, and Sporting News All-America teams and was a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.
Last year, Jaron Pierre Jr. won the honor after helping the Jax State men's basketball team reach the CUSA Championship game and make an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
Conference USA Michael L. Slive Athletes of the Year
2025-26 Cam Cook, Jax State football/Callie Bauer, WKU volleyball
2024-25 Jaron Pierre Jr., Jax State men's basketball/Rachel Roupe, Liberty softball
2023-24 Kaidon Salter, Liberty football/Savannah Wheeler, MTSU women's basketball
2022-23 Victor Kibiego, UTEP track & field/Lauren Matthews, WKU volleyball
2021-22 Bailey Zappe, WKU football/Grace Forbes, Rice cross country and track & field
2020-21 Vitor Dias, Marshall men's soccer & Kigen Chemadi, MTSU track & field/
Anastasia Hayes, MTSU women's basketball
2019-20 Javion Hamlet, North Texas men's basketball/
Erica Ogwumike, Rice women's basketball
2018-19 Jake Sanford, WKU baseball/ Erica Ogwumike, Rice women's basketball
2017-18 Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss baseball/Alyssa Cavanaugh, WKU volleyball
2016-17 Emmanuel Korir, UTEP track & field/Morgan Zerkle, Marshall softball
2015-16 Brandon Doughty, WKU football/Kylee Hanson, Florida Atlantic softball
2014-15 Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Miranda Kramer, WKU softball
2013-14 Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Ebony Rowe, MTSU basketball
2012-13 Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Aurieyall Scott, UCF track & field
2011-12 Case Keenum, Houston football/Camilla Carrera, UTEP softball
2010-11 Chad Zurcher, Memphis baseball/Tori Bowie, Southern Miss track & field
2009-10 Anthony Rendon, Rice baseball/Blessing Okagbare, UTEP track & field
2008-09 Jason Colwick, Rice track & field/
Toni Paisley, ECU softball & Sara Radosevic, Tulane volleyball
2007-08 Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis basketball/Angel Shamblin, Houston softball
2006-07 Joe Savery, Rice baseball/Ebonie Floyd, Houston track & field
2005-06 Brad Lincoln, Houston baseball & DeAngelo Williams, Memphis football/
Jillian Robbins, Tulsa basketball
2004-05 Lance Broadway, TCU baseball/Sandora Irvin, TCU basketball
2003-04 Michael Kogan, Tulane tennis/Chandi Jones, Houston basketball
Players Mentioned
RB
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