Four-time winner Brian Kelly of Cincinnati and 14-time winner Larry Kehres of Mount Union (Ohio) highlight today’s announcement of the American Football Coaches Association’s 2009 Regional Coach of the Year winners.

The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association’s five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

The winners are selected by Active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.

The 2009 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner at the 2010 AFCA Convention in Orlando, Fla. The dinner is scheduled for January 12.

2009 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Winners

Football Bowl Subdivision
Region 1: Brian Kelly, University of Cincinnati*
Region 2: Nick Saban, University of Alabama
Region 3: Kirk Ferentz, University of Iowa
Region 4: Mack Brown, University of Texas
Region 5: Gary Patterson, TCU

Football Championship Subdivision
Region 1: Andy Talley, Villanova University*
Region 2: Jerry Moore, Appalachian State University*
Region 3: Henry Frazier, Prairie View A&M University*
Region 4: Dale Lennon, Southern Illinois University*
Region 5: Bobby Hauck, University of Montana

Division II
Region 1: Rocky Rees, Shippensburg University
Region 2: Steve Mullins, Arkansas Tech University
Region 3: Keith Otterbein, Hillsdale College
Region 4: Sam McElroy, Tarleton State University
Region 5: Blaine Bennett, Central Washington University

Division III
Region 1: E.J. Mills, Amherst College
Region 2: Joe Fincham, Wittenberg University
Region 3: Norman Joseph, Mississippi College
Region 4: Larry Kehres, Mount Union College* & Norm Eash, Illinois Wesleyan University (tie)
Region 5: Steve Staker, Coe College

NAIA
Region 1: Hugh Freeze, Lambuth University
Region 2: Mike Feminis, St. Xavier University & Ron Korfmacher, Taylor University (tie)
Region 3: Kent Kessinger, Ottawa University
Region 4: Kalen DeBoer, University of Sioux Falls
Region 5: Mike Van Diest, Carroll College (Mont.)*
*-2008 winner

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, and the number of divisions was 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.

AFCA National Coach of the Year: The AFCA will announce its five 2009 National Coach of the Year winners at the 2010 AFCA Convention in Orlando, Fla. All head coaches who were eligible for regional honors are eligible for national honors as well.

Repeat Winners: Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly, Villanova’s Andy Talley, Appalachian State’s Jerry Moore, Prairie View A&M’s Henry Frazier, Southern Illinois’ Dale Lennon, Mount Union’s Larry Kehres and Carroll’s Mike Van Diest are the repeat winners from 2008. Kehres extends his record District/Regional total to 14. The award is the fourth for Kelly, fifth for Talley, fifth for Moore, second for Frazier, third for Lennon and third in a row for Van Diest.

Multiple Winners: Other multiple winners in the 2009 class are Kirk Ferentz (second), Mack Brown (third), Bobby Hauck (second), Rocky Rees (third), Steve Mullins (second), Keith Otterbein (third), Joe Fincham (second) and Kalen DeBoer (third).

First Time Schools: Four coaches earned the first AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Award for their school in 2009: Illinois Wesleyan’s Norm Eash, St. Xavier’s Mike Feminis, Taylor’s Ron Korfmacher and Ottawa’s Kent Kessinger

Most Awards: Mount Union’s Larry Kehres (1986-90-92-93-96-97-99-2000-01-02-06-07-08-09) has the most district/regional honors in AFCA history, extending his record to 14 awards this year. Penn State’s Joe Paterno (District 2: 1967-68-71-72-73-77-78-82; Region 1: 1985; Region 3: 1994-2005) is second with 11 District/Regional Coach of the Year honors. Following Kehres and Paterno is Bloomsburg’s Danny Hale with 10 awards (College Division I, Region 1 1986-87-88-94-95; Division II, Region 1, 2000-01-05-06-08). Hale won his first three awards while at West Chester. Seven coaches have won the award seven times: Mel Tjeerdsma, Northwest Missouri State, Jim Butterfield, Ithaca; Carmen Cozza, Yale; Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne, Nebraska; Tubby Raymond, Delaware and Bo Schembechler, Miami (Ohio), Michigan.

Most Winners by School: Nebraska-15 (Bob Devaney-7, Tom Osborne-7, Frank Solich-1); Mount Union-15 (Ken Wable-1, Larry Kehres-14); Penn State-12 (Rip Engle-1, Joe Paterno-11);  Texas-11 (Darrell Royal-6, Fred Akers-2, David McWilliams-1, Mack Brown-2); North Dakota State-10 (Darrell Mudra-1, Ron Erhardt-4, Jim Wacker-1, Don Morton-3, Earle Solomonson-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); Michigan-8 (Bump Elliott-2, Bo Schembechler-6); Alabama-9 (Bear Bryant-4, Bill Curry-1, Gene Stallings-2, Mike Shula-1, Nick Saban-1), Ithaca-8 (Jim Butterfield-7, Mike Welch-1), Oklahoma-8 (Chuck Fairbanks-3, Barry Switzer-2, Bob Stoops-3); Yale-8 (Jordan Olivar-1, Carmen Cozza-7).

Two Years, Two Schools: Five coaches have earned AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors at two schools in consecutive years: Fred Akers: Wyoming, 1976 & Texas 1977; Dick Sheridan: Furman, 1985 &  North Carolina State, 1986; Dennis Franchione: Pittsburg State, 1989 & Southwest Texas State, 1990; Joe Tiller: Wyoming, 1996 & Purdue, 1997; Hal Mumme: Valdosta State, 1996 & Kentucky, 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 has earned the honor at North Carolina State (1972), Arkansas (1979), Notre Dame (1988) and South Carolina (2000). Houston Nutt (Mississippi, Arkansas, Murray State) became the sixth coach to win district or regional honors at three different schools this year. He joins Mike Price (UTEP, Washington State, Weber State), Jerry Claiborne (Virginia Tech, Maryland, Kentucky), Darrell Mudra (North Dakota State, Western Illinois, Northern Iowa), Jim Sweeney (Montana State, Washington State and Fresno State) and Jim Wacker (North Dakota State, Southwest Texas State and TCU) on that list.

Consecutive Years: 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 (1962-63-64-65-66). Trinity (Texas)’s Steve Mohr, North Dakota State’s Ron Erhardt and Mount Union’s Larry Kehres are the only men to win the award four years in a row. Erhardt earned district honors in the AFCA’s old College Division (1967-68-69-70) while Mohr earned the honor in Division III (1996-97-98-99). Kehres earned the honor in 1999-2000-01-02 and 2006-07-08-09.

Thirteen 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.