In year two (2011–12), Boyle became the first CU coach to begin the conference season with back-to-back 3–0 starts, and was the first coach since Frosty Cox (1935–36, 1936–37) to win his conference opener in back-to-back years. He also won his 40th game (home win vs. Oregon) in just 61 games tying Cox (1935–39). Boyle continued to make most of his “dream job” a reality for CU fans guiding the Buffaloes to the 2011–12 NCAA Tournament (third round), another 24-win season, and a conference championship in its inaugural season of the Pac-12, winning four games in four days at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. For his efforts, Boyle became the first CU head coach to earn the District 20 Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), an award voted among his coaching peers. The 48 wins were a school-best in any two-year span of the program. “I’m a believer in Tad Boyle,” said Jay Bilas, ESPN College Basketball Analyst. “He is not only a terrific teacher of the game with great basketball knowledge, he keeps it simple and gives his players an understanding of what you need to do to win, but a firm understanding of how teams lose, too. Boyle has tremendous toughness in him. He is demanding without being demeaning, and he puts his players in position to achieve together without fear of failing. That’s what truly outstanding coaches do, and Tad Boyle is a truly outstanding coach.”