Coaches of the Year

Before leaving the city of Nashville to take on the role of Alabama State University's new head coach, L.C. Cole left his mark at Tennessee State, leading the Tigers into the elite ranks of Division I-AA.

Cole leaves in his wake at TSU a regular-season winning streak of 19 games - the longest active streak in Division I-AA. The 1999 season, in which the Tigers were 11-1 and finished the regular season ranked No. 1, included a second-straight playoff berth for the school, which had previously been in the midst of a 12-year playoff draught, and the 11 wins tied a school record. Cole's career mark at Tennessee State was 28-18, and he was twice named Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year.

An All-Big 8 defensive end at Nebraska in the late 1970s, Cole also served the Tigers as defensive coordinator. But it was on offense that TSU did the bulk of its damage in '99, finishing 10th nationally in passing offense (307 yards per game) and 17th in total offense (455.5 yards per game).

Under Cole, the Tigers also placed two players on AFM's 1999 Division I-AA All-American team: offensive lineman Michael Thompson and return specialist Avion Black.

Division II
Coach of the Year:
KEN SPARKS, CARSON-NEWMAN

You'll never have to teach Carson-Newman's Ken Sparks perseverance. He already knows all about it.

Sparks' record at the NAIA-turned-NCAA Div. II school is remarkable. Since taking the reins in 1980, he has led the Eagles to five national championships (all at the NAIA level), four national runner-up finishes, 15 conference titles and playoff appearances in 17 of the last 18 years.

But there are three games that will still stand out most in the minds of broken-hearted Eagles fans: Northern Colorado 23, Carson-Newman 14 - 1996 NCAA Div. II Championship; NW Missouri State 24, Carson-Newman 6 - 1998 NCAA Div. II Championship; and, even more gut-wrenching, NW Missouri State 58, Carson-Newman 52 (4OT) - 1999 NCAA Division II Championship. The latter, a game in which C-M gave up 30 fourth-quarter points to NWMSU to force overtime, could easily be described as demoralizing. However, for Sparks, a man of devout faith and convictions, that word doesn't appear in his dictionary.

In rolling to 10 regular-season victories and a No. 1 ranking, Carson-Newman steamrolled opponents with a powerful veer attack that averaged 461.5 yards per game including the nation's second-best rushing game, averaging 331.7 yards per contest.

Division III
Coach of the Year:
FROSTY WESTERING, PACIFIC LUTHERAN

Whoever said, "Nice guys finish last" obviously had never met Pacific Lutheran's Frosty Westering.

During his 70 years of life, Westering has been the type of individual who everyone would agree hasn't wasted a minute of his life. How many people, not just coaches, have been a Marine drill sergeant, authored a book, earned a doctorate and became a full professor of Education, in addition to winning four national championships (three at the NAIA level) and 277 games (including 93 in the 1990s)? And on top of that, be one of the most kind and friendly souls you'd ever want to meet - the type of chap you'd like to have as your neighbor. The answer: None that we know of.

A truly inspirational orator, Westering led his team into the Division III postseason with only a No. 15 national ranking and a heavy underdog. In order to advance and win the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, PLU would have to become the first team in history to win five straight playoff games on the road. The first, which proved to be the most difficult, was a 28-24 victory over conference-rival Willamette (Ore.), avenging the Lutes' only loss of the season. They then rolled to victories at Wartburg, St. John's and Trinity, and on a neutral field, the Lutes finished their tour de force by whipping heavily favored Rowan, 42-13, for the national championship.

NAIA
Coach of the Year:
TIM ALBIN, NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA ST.

Tim Albin traces Northwestern Oklahoma State's 1999 NAIA National Championship season back to a Labor-Day weekend game during the '98 season.

That day, an injury-plagued group of Rangers battled NCAA Division II No. 7-ranked Central Oklahoma to the bitter end, only to lose, 3-0, in a game that Northwestern missed four field goals and squandered two trips inside the UCO 10 without a score. The next three weeks would bring two more losses and a heap of additional injuries, leaving the Rangers 2-3 at the season's mid-way point.

Albin's crew could have easily packed it in, set their sites on merely posting a .500 record and looked forward to next season. But instead, the Rangers closed with a 5-0 finish, dominating opponents and building momentum for '99. And they still haven't lost a game since.

With the troops healed and rallied into a focused frenzy, Northwestern turned in a dominating performance in '99, averaging 482.1 yards a game on offense while allowing just 215.5 yards per contest on defense en route to a 13-0 record and a national title.

Junior College
Coach of the Year:
GEORGE RUSH, CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO

In the world of junior college football, no team was more dominant in the 1990s than the City College of San Francisco. Led by head coach George Rush - a man finishing his 23rd season at the school and boasting eight California Commission on Athletics (COA) coach-of-the-year awards - the Rams posted an incredible 102-11 record during the decade.

But something was missing. A national championship.

Because JUCO football is split between two major organizational bodies - the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the COA - the annual recognized national champion is the one chosen in J.C. Grid-Wire's Top 30 rankings at the end of the season. In 1999, that school was CCSF. Finally.

Rush's Rams were bolstered by a swarming defense that allowed just 106 points in 12 games, while the offense scored 319 points. Statistically, CCSF allowed an average of just 215.9 yards per game while rolling up 451.3 yards on offense.

And, perhaps, the most important job of a junior college head coach is developing talent and sending it along to four-year colleges. That proved to be another area of great success in '99 for Rush. More than a dozen Rams signed Division I-A, I-AA and II letters of intent, and more will likely follow suit.