NAIA Football Coach of the Year Award

NAIA Football Coach of the Year Award
Awarded forBest college football coach in the NAIA
CountryUnited States
First awarded1956
Currently held byMark Henninger, Marian

The NAIA Football Coach of the Year is awarded annually to the best college football coach in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. From 1979 to 1996, a separate award was given to the best coach in each of the NAIA's two football divisions.[1]

Winners

Single award (1956–1978)

  • Note: Even though the NAIA split its football championship into two divisions in 1970, only a single Coach of the Year award was given out until 1979.
Season(s) Winner Team
1956 Dewey Halford Morningside
1957 Muddy Waters Hillsdale
1958 Volney Ashford Missouri Valley
1959 Clarence Stasavich Lenoir–Rhyne
1960 Phil Sarboe Humboldt State
1961 Carnie Smith Pittsburg State
1962 Paul Durham Linfield
1963 Billy Nicks Prairie View A&M
1964 Jake Christiansen Concordia–Moorhead
1965 John Gagliardi Saint John's (MN)
1966 Forrest Perkins Wisconsin State–Whitewater
1967 Harold "Deacon" Duvall Fairmont State
1968 Billy Atkins Troy State
1969 Jake Gaither Florida A&M
1970 (DI & DII) Gil Steinke Texas A&I
1971 (DI & DII) Bob Shoup Cal Lutheran
1972 (DI & DII) Jim Frazier Missouri Southern State
1973 (DI & DII) Larry Korver Northwestern (IA)
1974 (DI & DII) Gil Steinke (2) Texas A&I
1975 (DI & DII) Gil Steinke (3) Texas A&I
1976 (DI & DII) Gil Steinke (4) Texas A&I
1977 (DI & DII) DeWitt Jones Abilene Christian
1978 (DI & DII) Jim Hess Angelo State

Separate awards (1979–1996)

Division I

Season Winner Team
1979 Ron Harms Texas A&I
1980 Jerry Tolley Elon
1981 Ron Randleman Pittsburg State
1982 Dick Lowry Hillsdale
1983 Harold Horton Central Arkansas
1984 Ken Sparks Carson–Newman
1985 Ralph Carpenter Henderson State
1986 Dennis Franchione Pittsburg State
1987 Dennis Franchione (2) Pittsburg State
1988 Jon Lantz Southeastern Oklahoma State
1989 Jeff Geiser Adams State
1990 Mike Isom Central Arkansas
1991 Carl Iverson Western State (CO)
1992 Billy Joe Central State (OH)
1993 Rich Rodriguez Glenville State
1994 Tom Eckert Northeastern State (OK)
1995 Rick Comegy Central State (OH)
1996 Paul Sharp Southwestern Oklahoma State


Division II

Season Winner Team
1979 Dick Strahm Findlay
1980 Stan McGarvey William Jewell
1981 Jim Christopherson Concordia–Moorhead
1982 Ad Rutschman Linfield
1983 Frosty Westering Pacific Lutheran
1984 Ad Rutschman (2) Linfield
1985 Larry Korver (2) Northwestern (IA)
1986 Ad Rutschman (3) Linfield
1987 Vacated —
1988 Joe Fusco Westminster (PA)
1989 Joe Fusco (2) Westminster (PA)
1990 Tom Shea Peru State
1991 Kevin Donley Georgetown (KY)
1992 Dick Strahm Findlay
1993 Frosty Westering (2) Pacific Lutheran
1994 Gene Nicholson Westminster (PA)
1995 Dick Strahm (2) Findlay
1996 Bob Young Sioux Falls

Single award (1997–present)

Year Winner Team Source
1997 Dick Strahm (3) Findlay
1998 Vic Shealy Azusa Pacific
1999 Tim Albin Northwestern Oklahoma State
2000 Bill Cronin Georgetown (KY)
2001 Bill Cronin (2) Georgetown (KY)
2002 Carl Poelker McKendree
2003 Mike Van Diest Carroll (MT)
2004 Kevin Donley (2) Saint Francis (IN)
2005 Mike Van Diest (2) Carroll (MT)
2006 Kalen DeBoer Sioux Falls
2007 Mike Van Diest (3) Carroll (MT)
2008 Kalen DeBoer (2) Sioux Falls
2009 Kalen DeBoer (3) Sioux Falls
2010 Mike Van Diest (4) Carroll (MT)
2011 Mike Feminis Saint Xavier (IL)
2012 Steve Ryan Morningside
2013 Mike Woodley Grand View
2014 Mark Henninger Marian
2015 Mark Henninger (2) Marian
2016 Kevin Donley (3) Saint Francis (IN)
2017 Kevin Donley (4) Saint Francis (IN) [2]
2018 Steve Ryan (2) Morningside [3]
2019 Steve Ryan (3) Morningside [4]
2020–21 Chris Oliver Lindsey Wilson
2021 Steve Ryan (4) Morningside
2022 Matt McCarty Northwestern (IA) [5]
2023

Coaches with multiple wins

Coach School Total Winning Years
Gil Steinke
4 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976
Mike Van Diest Carroll (MT) 4 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010
Kevin Donley 4 1991, 2004, 2016, 2017
Steve Ryan Morningside 4 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021
Ad Rutschman Linfield 3 1982, 1984, 1986
Dick Strahm Findlay 3 1992, 1995, 1997
Kalen DeBoer Sioux Falls 3 2006, 2008, 2009
Larry Korver Northwestern (IA) 2 1973, 1985
Dennis Franchione Pittsburg State 2 1986, 1987
Joe Fusco Westminster (PA) 2 1988, 1989
Frosty Westering Pacific Lutheran 2 1983, 1993
Bill Cronin Georgetown (KY) 2 2000, 2001
Mark Henninger Marian (IN) 2 2014, 2015

Schools with multiple wins

School Total Winning Years
5 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979
Morningside (IA) 5 1956, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021
Linfield 4 1962, 1982, 1984, 1986
Pittsburg State 4 1961, 1981, 1986, 1987
Findlay 4 1979, 1992, 1995, 1997
Sioux Falls 4 1996, 2006, 2008, 2009
Carroll (MT) 4 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010
Westminster (PA) 3 1988, 1989, 1994
Georgetown (KY) 3 1991, 2000, 2001
Northwestern (IA) 3 1973, 1985, 2022
Hillsdale 2 1957, 1982
Concordia–Moorhead 2 1964, 1982
Central Arkansas 2 1983, 1990
Pacific Lutheran 2 1983, 1993
Central State (OH) 2 1992, 1995
Marian (IN) 2 2014, 2015
Saint Francis (IN) 2 2004, 2016

References

  1. ^ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  2. ^ "Kevin Donley Named AFCA Coach of the Year". NAIA. 2018-01-10. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  3. ^ "Steve Ryan Named NAIA Coach of the Year". NAIA. 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  4. ^ "Matt Entz Headlines List of 2019 AFCA Coach Of The Year Award Winners". www.afca.com. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  5. ^ "Inside the Headset - NAIA Regional Coach of the Year Panel - AFCA". www.afca.com. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
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