Mike Leach Headlines AFCA 2018 National Coach Of The Year Award Winners
January 8, 2019
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) will cap the 2019 AFCA Convention by presenting its top coaching award — AFCA National Coach of the Year — to five outstanding coaches.
Washington State’s Mike Leach (FBS), Maine’s Joe Harasymiak (FCS), Lenoir-Rhyne’s Drew Cronic (Division II), Johns Hopkins Jim Margraff (Division III) and Morningside’s Steve Ryan (NAIA) are the 2018 AFCA National Coach of the Year winners.
The winners are selected by a vote of the Active AFCA members at four-year schools in the Association’s five divisions. The AFCA has named a Coach of the Year since 1935. The AFCA Coach of the Year award is the oldest and most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one chosen exclusively by coaches.
Mike Leach led Washington State to an 11-2 record and a victory in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The 11 wins in 2018 set a single-season school record, and he is the first Cougar head coach to lead Washington State to four straight bowl games. Leach has an overall record of 49-40 in his seven seasons at Washington State and an overall record of 133-83 in his 17 years as head coach at WSU and Texas Tech. He led the Red Raiders to 10 bowl bids and owns the school record with 84 victories. Leach is also a two-time AFCA FBS Regional Coach of the Year winner in 2008 and 2018.
In 2018, Joe Harasymiak led Maine to a six-game turnaround from the year before, leading the Black Bears to a 10-4 record, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title and a trip the FCS semifinals. Maine’s appearance in the semifinals was the deepest run in the playoffs in program history, and the 10 victories are the most since 2013. Harasymiak has a 20-15 overall record in his three years as head coach. He also earned CAA and AFCA FCS Region 1 Coach of the Year honors in 2018.
RELATED ARTICLE: Nick Saban & Chris Klieman Headline 2018 AFCA Regional Coach Of The Year Winners
In his first season as head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne, Drew Cronic transformed the Bears from a three-win team in 2017 to a 12-win team in 2018. The nine-win turnaround was the largest in Division II and the 12 wins marked the second-highest total in program history. Cronic guided Lenoir-Rhyne to the South Atlantic Conference title and a trip the Division II quarterfinals for the second time in school history. He earned his third AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2018 after earning two as the head coach at Reinhardt in 2015 and 2016. Cronic has an overall record of 34-5 in his three years as a head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne and Reinhardt.
Jim Margraff, who earned his first AFCA Division III National Coach of the Year honor and fourth AFCA Regional honor in 2018, passed away suddenly on January 2, 2019. The winningest football coach in Johns Hopkins history, Margraff led the Blue Jays to its first-ever trip to the Division III semifinals and a program-record 12 wins in 2018. He coached his alma mater for 29 years and posted an overall record of 221-89-3 and guided Johns Hopkins to a Centennial Conference record 14 league titles. Margraff’s 221 victories also rank first in Maryland state history and third among active Division III head coaches at the conclusion of the season.
Steve Ryan earned his second AFCA NAIA National Coach of the Year honor after guiding Morningside to their greatest season in program history. In 2018, the Mustangs finished with a 15-0 record, won its eighth consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) title and earned the school’s first-ever NAIA National Championship. Ryan has an overall record of 170-40 in his 17 years as head coach and has guided Morningside to 15 consecutive post-season appearances, including six trips to the semifinals in the last seven seasons. Ryan won his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor in 2012 after leading the Mustangs to a 13-1 record and the program’s first-ever national championship game appearance. He is also an eight-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year winner.
The winners will be honored Tuesday evening during the American Football Coaches Awards at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) will cap the 2019 AFCA Convention by presenting its top coaching award — AFCA National Coach of the Year — to five outstanding coaches.
Washington State’s Mike Leach (FBS), Maine’s Joe Harasymiak (FCS), Lenoir-Rhyne’s Drew Cronic (Division II), Johns Hopkins Jim Margraff (Division III) and Morningside’s Steve Ryan (NAIA) are the 2018 AFCA National Coach of the Year winners.
The winners are selected by a vote of the Active AFCA members at four-year schools in the Association’s five divisions. The AFCA has named a Coach of the Year since 1935. The AFCA Coach of the Year award is the oldest and most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one chosen exclusively by coaches.
Mike Leach led Washington State to an 11-2 record and a victory in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The 11 wins in 2018 set a single-season school record, and he is the first Cougar head coach to lead Washington State to four straight bowl games. Leach has an overall record of 49-40 in his seven seasons at Washington State and an overall record of 133-83 in his 17 years as head coach at WSU and Texas Tech. He led the Red Raiders to 10 bowl bids and owns the school record with 84 victories. Leach is also a two-time AFCA FBS Regional Coach of the Year winner in 2008 and 2018.
In 2018, Joe Harasymiak led Maine to a six-game turnaround from the year before, leading the Black Bears to a 10-4 record, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title and a trip the FCS semifinals. Maine’s appearance in the semifinals was the deepest run in the playoffs in program history, and the 10 victories are the most since 2013. Harasymiak has a 20-15 overall record in his three years as head coach. He also earned CAA and AFCA FCS Region 1 Coach of the Year honors in 2018.
RELATED ARTICLE: Nick Saban & Chris Klieman Headline 2018 AFCA Regional Coach Of The Year Winners
In his first season as head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne, Drew Cronic transformed the Bears from a three-win team in 2017 to a 12-win team in 2018. The nine-win turnaround was the largest in Division II and the 12 wins marked the second-highest total in program history. Cronic guided Lenoir-Rhyne to the South Atlantic Conference title and a trip the Division II quarterfinals for the second time in school history. He earned his third AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2018 after earning two as the head coach at Reinhardt in 2015 and 2016. Cronic has an overall record of 34-5 in his three years as a head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne and Reinhardt.
Jim Margraff, who earned his first AFCA Division III National Coach of the Year honor and fourth AFCA Regional honor in 2018, passed away suddenly on January 2, 2019. The winningest football coach in Johns Hopkins history, Margraff led the Blue Jays to its first-ever trip to the Division III semifinals and a program-record 12 wins in 2018. He coached his alma mater for 29 years and posted an overall record of 221-89-3 and guided Johns Hopkins to a Centennial Conference record 14 league titles. Margraff’s 221 victories also rank first in Maryland state history and third among active Division III head coaches at the conclusion of the season.
Steve Ryan earned his second AFCA NAIA National Coach of the Year honor after guiding Morningside to their greatest season in program history. In 2018, the Mustangs finished with a 15-0 record, won its eighth consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) title and earned the school’s first-ever NAIA National Championship. Ryan has an overall record of 170-40 in his 17 years as head coach and has guided Morningside to 15 consecutive post-season appearances, including six trips to the semifinals in the last seven seasons. Ryan won his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor in 2012 after leading the Mustangs to a 13-1 record and the program’s first-ever national championship game appearance. He is also an eight-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year winner.
The winners will be honored Tuesday evening during the American Football Coaches Awards at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
