SAN ANTONIO, TEX. — The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) presented its top coaching award — AFCA National Coach of the Year — to four outstanding coaches in Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, Division III and the NAIA. The winners are selected by a vote of the Active AFCA members at four-year schools in FCS, Division II, Division III and the NAIA. The AFCA has named a Coach of the Year since 1935. The AFCA Coach of the Year award is the oldest and most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one chosen exclusively by coaches.

Steve Ryan earned his fourth AFCA NAIA National Coach of the Year honor after guiding Morningside to a 14-0 record, its 11th consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) title and their third NAIA National Championship in the last four years. Ryan has an overall record of 208-41 in his 20 years as head coach and has guided Morningside to 18 consecutive post-season appearances, including eight trips to the semifinals in the last nine seasons. Ryan won his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor in 2012 after leading the Mustangs to a 13-1 record and the program’s first-ever national championship game appearance. He added his second and third honors in 2018 and 2019 after guiding Morningside to the program’s first two NAIA National Championships. He is also a 11-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year winner.

The winners were honored Monday morning during the 2022 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Award History

Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf, then of North­western, was named as the first AFCA Coach of the Year in 1935. One national winner was selected from 1935 through 1959. From 1960 through 1982, two national winners were selected — one representing the University Division and one from the College Division. From 1983-2005, four national winners were chosen. In 2006, the AFCA started honoring an NAIA Coach of the Year, bringing the total to the five honorees we have today. Prior to 2006, the NAIA was a part of the AFCA’s Division II membership category.

Voting Process

The current balloting procedure involves selection of 25 regional winners: five regional winners in each of the five divisions – FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA, who become finalist for national coach of the year. Following regional voting, five national winners – one from each division – are chosen.

Top Individuals: Larry Kehres of Mount Union is the only coach in AFCA history to win National Coach of the Year honors nine times. He earned the award in Mount Union’s national championship seasons of 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2008. Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Lance Leipold is in second place when he earned his sixth AFCA Division III Coach of the Year honor in 2014. Leipold won his other awards in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013. Penn State’s Joe Paterno sits third with five AFCA Coach of the Year honors. Paterno earned his awards in FBS in 1968, 1972, 1982, 1986 and 2005. Morningside’s Steve Ryan (NAIA-2012, 2018-19, 2021) joins Northwest Missouri State’s Mel Tjeerdsma (Division II-1998-99-2008-09) and Augustana’s (Ill.) Bob Reade as the only four-time AFCA Coach of the Year winners. Reade earned the honor in 1983-84-85-86 in College Division II (now Division III). Northwest Missouri State’s Adam Dorrel (2013, 2015-16), Grand Valley State and Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly (2002-03, 2012), Carroll’s Mike Van Diest (2003, 2007, 2010), Sioux Falls’ Kalen DeBoer (2006, 2008-09), Appalachian State’s Jerry Moore (2005-06-07), Youngstown State and Ohio State’s Jim Tressel (1991, 1994, 2003), Alabama’s Bear Bryant (1961, 1971, 1973) and North Alabama’s Bobby Wallace (1993-94-95) are the only three-time Coach of the Year winners. Kehres, Leipold, Moore, Reade and Wallace are the only coaches to win the award in three or more consecutive seasons.

Top Schools: Mount Union is the only institution to have a representative win the AFCA National Coach of the Year Award nine times. North Dakota State is now in second place with eight wins. Northwest Missouri State and Wisconsin-Whitewater are the only schools with seven wins. Georgia Southern and Penn State are the only schools with five wins. Alabama, Augustana (Ill.), Grand Valley State, Michigan, Morningside, Ohio State and Wittenberg are four-time winners. Larry Kehres won all nine awards for Mount Union, Joe Paterno won all five awards for Penn State and Steve Ryan won all four awards for Morningside. 

Back-to-Back: Steve Ryan, Kalen DeBoer, Kevin Donley, Adam Dorrel, Bill Edwards, Joe Glenn, Mark Henninger, Paul Johnson, Larry Kehres, Brian Kelly, Lance Leipold, Chuck Martin, Jerry Moore, Tubby Raymond, Bob Reade, Mel Tjeerdsma, Bobby Wallace and Craig Bohl are the only coaches to win national honors in consecutive years. No FBS coach has won the award in consecutive years. Kehres is the only coach to win three consecutive Coach of the Year awards twice, while Tjeerdsma is the only coach to win two consecutive Coach of the Year awards twice. Leipold won three straight from 2009-11, then went back-to-back in 2013-14, making him the only coach to accomplish that feat.

AFCA Coach of the Year Winners – All Time List

NAIA

2006   Kalen DeBoer, Sioux Falls

2007   Mike Van Diest, Carroll (Mont.)

2008   Kalen DeBoer, Sioux Falls

2009   Kalen DeBoer, Sioux Falls

2010   Mike Van Diest, Carroll (Mont.)

2011   Mike Feminis, Saint Xavier

2012   Steve Ryan, Morningside

2013   Mike Woodley, Grand View

2014   Mark Henninger, Marian

2015   Mark Henninger, Marian

2016   Kevin Donley, St. Francis (Ind.)

2017   Kevin Donley, St. Francis (Ind.)

2018   Steve Ryan, Morningside

2019   Steve Ryan, Morningside

2021   Spring – Chris Oliver, Lindsey Wilson