Schutt Sports College Coaches of the Year
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DIVISION I-AA WINNER
Dave Clawson
Fordham
Dave Clawson did not
rest on his laurels after guiding his squad to a 7-4 record and
being named Co-Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2001. No, Clawson
joins former Holy Cross mentor Mark Duffner (1986-87) as the only
coach in Patriot League history to win the League’s Coach of
the Year honor in consecutive years.
“It was just one of those years,” said Clawson. “This
year was truly a remarkable team effort. Every time we broke a huddle,
we broke on ‘Team.’ Awards are a product of success and
hard work.”
Clawson built the Rams from the ground up after starting 0-11 during
his first season. Under Clawson, Fordham made the Division I-AA
playoffs for the first time since joining I-AA in 1989. The Rams
(10-3), who finished ranked No. 15 nationally, also won the Patriot
League conference crown and defeated another I-AA upstart, Atlantic
10 champion, Northeastern, in first round action. The 10-win season
is the most of any Fordham football team at the I-AA level and a
certain sign of things to come.
“Even after the 0-11 season, winning the Patriot League title
always remained our goal,” said Clawson. “No matter how
hard you work or no matter how much you learn, you can always do
more. I think that some of the better I-AA conferences are in our
area of the country (Northeast) and it makes all of us better.”
Runners-up:
Don Brown, Northeastern (Mass.)
Mike Sewak, Georgia Southern
Tommy Tate, McNeese State (La.)
DIVISION II WINNER
Chris Hatcher
Valdosta State
Valdosta State’s
Chris Hatcher just keeps winning football games. Even without quarterback
Dusty Bonner, who won back-to-back Harlon Hill Trophies (Division
II’s version of the Heisman), the Blazers finished the regular
season with a perfect 11-0 mark and ranked No. 2 nationally in Division
II.
Hatcher has won 36 of his 40 games at Valdosta State during his
three years at the helm even though he has lost five assistant coaches
to the Division I ranks.
Valdosta State (14-1) lost the 2002 national championship game 31-24
to No. 1 ranked Grand Valley State (Mich.) in one of ESPN’s
most watched football games of the season.
“What we were able to accomplish this season still amazes me,”
Hatcher said. “We lost so many good players from last year’s
team and we are continually faced with losing our top coaches to
Division I.
“Obviously, it gets a little harder to hang on to your staff
when you are successful, but it just goes to show you what a little
hard work and dedication can do. I want to do everything that I
can to keep this program moving in the right direction.”
Before this season, Valdosta had never reached the semifinals of
the national playoffs in the school’s 21-year football history.
Hatcher has won three straight Gulf South Conference championships
and has taken his teams to the playoffs each year.
Runners-up:
John Zamberlin, Central Washington
Bob Nielson, Minnesota-Duluth
Bryan Collins, C.W. Post (NY)
DIVISION III WINNER
John Gagliardi
St. Johns
At 76 years old, John
Gagliardi is still going strong. The legendary coaching icon wrapped
up his 50th season just one win away from playing for the Division
III national title.
Gagliardi, who has lost just 114 college football games, won No.
400 a week before the Johnnies (12-2) were defeated 41-34 at the
hands of Trinity (Texas). In fact, Gagliardi needs just eight more
wins to tie Eddie Robinson, the only other collegiate coach with
400 or more victories.
“This is a great honor,” said Gagliardi. “I didn’t
know if anyone knew I existed. I have had a great career. When people
ask me the secret to winning 400 games, I always say the same thing
- any coach can do what I’ve done by simply winning 10 games
a year for 40 years, it’s that simple.”
Gagliardi attributes his success and longevity to his team’s
only rule.
“The only rule that we go by at St. John’s is the ‘Golden
Rule,’” he said. “Treat everybody like you like to
be treated and that goes for the coaches. I know that I certainly
don’t want to be mistreated, so I am certainly not going to
mistreat someone else.”
The 50-year veteran shows no signs of letting up.
“You know, I feel good and I feel strong,” he said. “The
players still respond to what I am trying to teach them and we are
still winning football games. So, I’ll go out there and get
busy recruiting. That’s all I know to do.”
Runners-up:
Pete Fredenburg, Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tx.)
Regis Scafe, John Carroll
Jay Accorsi, Rowan (NJ)
NAIA WINNER
Paul Troth
Missouri Valley College
Paul Troth is in his
first year at Missouri Valley College, a program that went 5-5 last
season. Troth started this season 4-0 before finishing 8-2 with
their only losses coming from Benedictine and Mid-America Nazarene,
both playoff qualifiers.
“I really appreciate this honor,” said Paul Troth. “Anyone
who coaches knows that it’s too big a job for one man to do,
so the entire staff earned this award.”
Turning programs around is nothing new to Troth, who turned Huron
University into a perennial playoff contender. Troth guided Huron
to the NAIA Championship Series three straight seasons before taking
over at Missouri Valley.
“At our level, the head coach actually has to coach,”
he said. “Because we have so few assistants, our coaches have
to be able to handle a little bit of everything.
“The NAIA is a group of small schools that see the value of
intercollegiate athletics,” Troth added. “We are all in
similar situations. There is certainly not as much money or fan
support, but it is great competition played by athletes that simply
want to play. It is a great brand of football.”
Troth, who has 18 years of coaching experience with 12 of those
at the collegiate level, was hired as the eighth coach in MVC history
to replace the retiring Dan Stanley. Troth has brought an impressive
list of credentials to MVC and has turned the Vikings into contenders
in just one season.
Runners-up:
Scott Frear, St. Mary’s College (Kan.)
Kevin Donley, St. Francis (Ind.)
Bill Cronnin, Georgetown (Ky.)]
JUNIOR COLLEGE
Bert Williams
Georgia Military College
In just his third
year at the helm, Bert Williams, who is both athletic director and
head football coach, guided his Georgia Military College football
squad to a 10-0 overall regular season record and a No. 1 ranking
in 2002 after capturing the NJCAA national championship in 2001.
The Bulldogs lost to Joliet (Ill.) Junior College, 24-14, in the
Sea Island Company Golden Isles Bowl Classic.
“Obviously this is a nice honor,” said Williams, who is
28-4 overall after three years. “It is exciting to know that
people recognize your achievements, but this more of a staff award.
I mean, I may get the award, but they do all the hard work. This
reflects the job that they have done as well.
“You rebuild every year at the junior college level,”
he added. “Many fans do not fully understand junior college
football. These are some of the best athletes in the country and
they will move on to the power conferences and compete for a national
title every year. They may not have the grades to go to start their
career in Division I, but they certainly have the talent.”
Williams had previously served as the offensive coordinator and
assistant head coach at GMC.
Every head coach is responsible for the development of their young
men,” said Williams. “It is important for all coaches
to set an example and to set high demands of their team.”
Runners-up:
Bob Larson, Garden City
Community College (Kan.);
Tony Caviglia, Fresno City College (Calif.)