Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- USC Head Football Coach Steve Spurrier was named SEC Coach of the Year by the league's coaches Wednesday.

Spurrier guided the 9-4 Gamecocks to their first ever SEC Championship, winning the Eastern Division. Carolina beat its four main competitors this year in Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. That win was Spurrier's first victory in the Swamp with the Gamecocks.

South Carolina also had its third ever nine-win season in its 117-year history. The Gamecocks went 10-2 in 1984, also known as its "Black Magic" season and 9-3 in 2001 under Coach Lou Holtz.

The award marks the 9th time in Spurrier's career that he has won the SEC Coach of the Year award, and he won ACC Coach of the year two years, 1988 and 1989, with Duke.

Spurrier also became the second-winningest coach in the SEC, behind Alabama coaching legend Paul "Bear" Bryant.

Meanwhile, freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore was named SEC Freshman of the Year. Earlier this week, Lattimore was named CBSSports.com's Freshman of the Year. Previous Coverage: Marcus Lattimore Named Freshman of the Year

Lattimore was also awarded the SEC Freshman of the Year by the Associated Press. The tailback has rushed for 1,198 yards this year in 248 carries. That's an average of 99.8 yards a game. He's scored 19 touchdowns this season, a school record.

According to a Wednesday news release, Auburn's Cam Newton was named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Year, while LSU's Patrick Peterson earned nods as both the Defensive Player of the Year and the Special Teams Player of the Year. Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and offensive lineman Lee Ziemba of Auburn was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.