Tulane’s Fritz among AFCA 2022 Regional Coaches of the Year

WACO, TEX. — Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Northwestern’s (Iowa) Matt McCarty highlight today’s announcement of the American Football Coaches Association’s 2022 Regional Coach of the Year winners for FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA. These winners will be honored on Monday, January 9, during the 2023 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association’s five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, and NAIA. The winners are selected by Active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.

Harbaugh earned his second AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honor by guiding Michigan to a 13-0 record, the Big Ten Conference title, and the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff where they will face No. 3 TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. In his eight seasons at Michigan, Harbaugh has a record of 74-24 and two Big Ten titles. His overall record in 15 years as a collegiate head coach at San Diego, Stanford and Michigan is 132-51 with nine bowl appearances.

McCarty also earned his second AFCA Regional honor by leading Northwestern (Iowa) to a 12-1 record and the program’s second trip in three years to the NAIA National Championship game. He has an overall record of 55-11 in his seven years as head coach and has led the Red Raiders to six straight trips to the NAIA playoffs. McCarty won his first regional honor in 2017 by guiding Northwestern to a 10-2 record and the quarterfinals of the NAIA playoffs in his second year as head coach.

2022 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Winners
Football Bowl Subdivision
Region 1: Willie Fritz, Tulane University
Region 2: Josh Heupel, University of Tennessee
Region 3: Jim Harbaugh, University of Michigan
Region 4: Sonny Dykes, TCU
Region 5: Jonathan Smith, Oregon State University

Football Championship Subdivision
Region 1: Bob Chesney, College of the Holy Cross
Region 2: Chris Hatcher, Samford University
Region 3: Willie Simmons, Florida A&M University
Region 4: John Stiegelmeier, South Dakota State University
Region 5: Troy Taylor, Sacramento State

Division II
Region 1: Ernie McCook, Shepherd University
Region 2: Chennis Berry, Benedict College
Region 3: Matt Mitchell, Grand Valley State University
Region 4: Todd Knight, Ouachita Baptist University
Region 5: Brandon Moore, Colorado School of Mines

Division III
Region 1: Mike Toerper, Ithaca College
Region 2: Ryan Larsen, Carnegie Mellon University
Region 3: Larry Harmon, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Region 4: Jason Couch, Alma College
Region 5: Steve Johnson, Bethel University (Minn.)

NAIA
Region 1: Mike Jasper, Bethel University (Tenn.)
Region 2: Jordan Langs, Indiana Wesleyan University
Region 3: Joe Woodley, Grand View University
Region 4: Matt McCarty, Northwestern College
Region 5: Troy Purcell, Carroll College (Mont.)

AFCA National Coach of the Year: The AFCA will announce the 2022 National Coaches of the Year winners in FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA on Monday, January 9. The Regional winners in each division are finalists for National Coach of the Year.
Award History: The AFCA began recognizing district coaches of the year following the 1960 season. The awards were established the same year Eastman Kodak agreed to sponsor the AFCA Coach of the Year award. Prior to 1960, the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain had sponsored the program, which recognized one national Coach of the Year.
The AFCA first recognized eight district winners in each of two divisions: university and college. In 1972, a ninth district was added in each division. In 1983, the award was changed to recognize regional winners instead of district winners. The number of divisions was also increased from two to four and five regional winners were selected in each division. This resulted in a more equitable selection process and better represented the make-up of the membership. At the same time, the new system increased the number of honorees from 18 to 20. In 2006, the AFCA Division II Award was split into separate Division II and NAIA divisions, giving us the 25 winners we now recognize.

Multiple Winners: Multiple winners of AFCA Regional honors in the 2022 class are Willie Fritz (third: FCS 2011-12), Jim Harbaugh (second: 2010), Chris Hatcher (third: D2 2001-02), John Stiegelmeier (third: 2007, 2016), Todd Knight (fourth: 2014, 2018-19), Steve Johnson (third: 1996, 2013), Joe Woodley (second: 2020) and Matt McCarty (second: 2017).

First Time Winners: Seventeen coaches earned their first AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Award in 2022: Tennessee’s Josh Heupel, TCU’s Sonny Dykes, Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith, Holy Cross’ Bob Chesney, Florida A&M’s Willie Simmons, Sacramento State’s Troy Taylor, Shepherd’s Ernie McCook, Benedict’s Chennis Berry, Grand Valley State’s Matt Mitchell, Colorado Mines’ Brandon Moore, Ithaca’s Mike Toerper, Carnegie Mellon’s Ryan Larsen, Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Larry Harmon, Alma’s Jason Couch, Bethel’s (Tenn.) Mike Jasper, Indiana Wesleyan’s Jordan Langs, and Carroll’s (Mont.) Troy Purcell.

Most Awards: Mount Union’s Larry Kehres (1986, 1990, 1992-93, 1996-97, 1999-02, 2006-12) has the most district/regional honors in AFCA history, with 17. Morningside’s Steve Ryan (2005, 2011-12, 2014-21) joins Penn State’s Joe Paterno (District 2: 1967-68, 1971-73, 1977-78, 1982; Region 1: 1985; Region 3: 1994, 2005) in second with 11 District/Regional Coach of the Year honors. Tied for third is Bloomsburg’s Danny Hale and Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Pete Fredenburg, each with 10 awards. Hale won his first three honors at West Chester and the rest at Bloomsburg (College Division I, Region 1 1986-88, 1994-95; Division II, Region 1, 2000-01, 2005-06, 2008). Fredenburg won his 10 in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012-14, 2016 and 2018. Eight coaches have won the award seven times: Tubby Ray¬mond, Delaware; Jim Butterfield, Ithaca; Chris Oliver, Lindsey Wilson; Bo Schem-bechler, Miami (Ohio), Michigan; Bob Devaney, Nebraska; Tom Osborne, Nebraska; Mel Tjeerdsma, Northwest Missouri State; and Carmen Cozza, Yale. Seven coaches have won Regional honors six times: Vince Dooley, Georgia; Brian Kelly, Grand Valley State, Cincinnati, Notre Dame; Roy Kidd, Eastern Kentucky; John McKay, USC; Jerry Moore, Appalachian State; Darrell Royal, Texas; and Mike Van Diest, Carroll (Mont.).

Most Winners by School: Mount Union-18 (Ken Wable-1, Larry Kehres-17); North Dakota State-16 (Darrell Mudra-1, Ron Erhardt-4, Jim Wacker-1, Don Morton-3, Earle Solo¬monson-1, Craig Bohl-2, Klieman-1, Entz-3); Nebraska-15 (Bob Devaney-7, Tom Osborne-7, Frank Solich-1); Penn State-12 (Rip Engle-1, Joe Paterno-11); Alabama-11 (Bear Bryant-4, Bill Curry-1, Gene Stallings-2, Mike Shula-1, Nick Saban-3); Mary Hardin-Baylor-11 (Pete Fredenburg-10, Larry Harmon-1); Morningside-11 (Steve Ryan-11); Texas-11 (Darrell Royal-6, Fred Akers-2, David McWil¬liams-1, Mack Brown-2); Ithaca-10 (Jim Butterfield-7, Mike Welch-2, Mike Toerper-1); Michi¬gan-10 (Bump Elliott-2, Bo Schem¬bechler-6, Lloyd Carr-1, Jim Harbaugh-1); USC-10 (John McKay-6, John Robinson-2, Pete Carroll-2); Wittenberg-10 (Bill Edwards-3, Dave Maurer-4, Ron Murphy-1, Joe Fincham-2); Arkansas-9 (Frank Broyles-4, Lou Holtz-1, Ken Hatfield-1, Houston Nutt-2, Sam Pittman-1); Bloomsburg-9 (George Landis-1, Danny Hale-7, Paul Darragh-1); Eastern Kentucky-9 (Roy Kidd-6, Danny Hope-1, Dean Hood-1, Walt Wells-1); New Hampshire-9 (Clarence Boston-1, Jim Root-1, Bill Bowes-3, Sean McDonnell-4).

Two Consecutive Years, Two Schools: Mike Houston (The Citadel, 2015 & James Madison, 2016) joined seven other coaches who have earned AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors at two schools in consecutive years: Fred Akers (Wyoming, 1976 & Texas 1977), Dennis Franchione (Pittsburg State, 1989 & Texas State, 1990), Jim McElwain (Colorado State, 2014 & Florida, 2015), Hal Mumme (Valdosta State, 1996 & Ken¬tucky, 1997), Dick Sheridan (Furman, 1985 & North Carolina State, 1986), Kevin Sumlin (Houston, 2011 & Texas A&M, 2012) and Joe Tiller (Wyoming, 1996 & Purdue, 1997).

Most Schools: South Carolina’s Lou Holtz is the only coach to earn AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors at four different schools. Holtz earned the honor at North Carolina State (1972), Arkansas (1979), Notre Dame (1988) and South Carolina (2000). Brian Kelly (Grand Valley State, Cincinnati, Notre Dame) became the seventh coach to win district or regional honors at three different schools in 2012. He joins Jerry Claiborne (Virginia Tech, Maryland, Kentucky), Darrell Mudra (North Dakota State, Western Illinois, Northern Iowa), Houston Nutt (Mississippi, Arkansas, Murray State), Mike Price (UTEP, Washington State, Weber State), Jim Sweeney (Montana State, Washington State, Fresno State) and Jim Wacker (North Dakota State, Texas State, TCU) on that list.

Consecutive Years: Morningside’s Steve Ryan jumps to first place with his eight straight NAIA Regional honors from 2014-21. Mount Union’s Larry Kehres is in second with seven consecutive years, winning in Division III from 2006-12. Jacksonville State’s John Grass, Northwest Missouri State’s Mel Tjeerdsma and Nebraska’s Bob Devaney are the only coaches to win district/regional honors in five consecutive years. Tjeerdsma earned the honor in Division II from 1996-2000. Devaney earned the honor in the AFCA’s old University Division (1962-66). Grass earned his five straight in FCS from 2014-18. Carroll’s Mike Van Diest, Trinity’s (Texas) Steve Mohr, North Dakota State’s Ron Erhardt and Kehres are the only men to win the award four years in a row. Van Diest earned the honor in NAIA from 2007-10, while Kehres won his four in a row from 1999-2002 in Division III. Erhardt earned district honors in the AFCA’s old College Division (1967-70) while Mohr earned the honor in Division III (1996-99). Seventeen coaches have earned district or regional honors three years in a row. Ithaca’s Jim Butterfield (1978-79-80 and 1984-85-86) earned the award in three consecutive years on two different occasions.