KALEN DeBOER, GREG GATTUSO, PAUL SIMMONS, CURT FITZPATRICK, AND DOUG SOCHA NAMED AFCA’S 2023 NATIONAL COACHES OF THE YEAR
January 9, 2024
During the 2024 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention, the AFCA presented its top coaching award — AFCA National Coach of the Year — to five outstanding coaches.
Washington’s Kalen DeBoer (FBS), UAlbany’s Greg Gattuso (FCS), Harding’s Paul Simmons (Division II), Cortland’s Curt Fitzpatrick (Division III) and Keiser’s Doug Socha (NAIA) are the 2023 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.
DeBoer won his fourth AFCA National Coach of the Year award by leading Washington to the most wins in program history, an appearance in the College Football Playoff national title game and the Pac-12 Championship. The Huskies finished 14-1 on the season after falling to Michigan in the CFP National Championship game. DeBoer has a record of 25-3 at Washington and 104-12 overall with stops at Fresno State and Sioux Falls. He won his first three AFCA National Coach of the Year honors at Sioux Falls where he guided the Cougars to a 67-3 record and three NAIA national titles from 2005-09.
Gattuso earned his first AFCA National honor by leading UAlbany to its first-ever Coastal Athletic Association title, its first 11-win season and first appearance in the FCS semifinals. The Great Danes finished the 2023 season at 11-4 and beat No. 4 Idaho on the road to earn their appearance in the semifinals. Gattuso has won 50 games in his 10 years as head coach at UAlbany and has an overall record of 147-93 including his 12 years as head coach at Duquesne. He becomes the first head coach from UAlbany to win AFCA National Coach of the Year.
Simmons guided Harding to a 15-0 record, the Great American Conference title and the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II national championship. With its 502 rushing yards in the national championship game, Harding became the first team in college football history to rush for more than 6,000 yards in a season. Simmons completed his eighth season as head coach of the Bisons and has an overall record of 65-13 with five playoff appearances and two GAC titles. This is his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor, and he is the first head coach from Harding to ever win this award.
In only his third season as head coach, Fitzpatrick led Cortland to a 14-1 record and the program’s first-ever NCAA Division III national championship. The Red Dragons have won three straight Empire 8 conference titles under Fitzpatrick with three straight trips to the Division III playoffs. He has a record of 34-4 at Cortland and an overall record of 68-33 including his seven years as head coach at Morrisville State. This is Fitzpatrick’s first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor, and he is the first head coach from Cortland to win this award.
Socha earned his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor by leading Keiser to the program’s first NAIA National title. The Seahawks went 12-2 in 2023, won the Sun Conference and beat Northwestern (Iowa), 31-21, in a rematch of last year’s national championship game. Since beginning the football program at Keiser in 2018, Socha has an overall record of 55-15 with five straight conference titles and five straight trips to the NAIA playoffs. He is the first coach from Keiser to win this honor.
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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During the 2024 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention, the AFCA presented its top coaching award — AFCA National Coach of the Year — to five outstanding coaches.
Washington’s Kalen DeBoer (FBS), UAlbany’s Greg Gattuso (FCS), Harding’s Paul Simmons (Division II), Cortland’s Curt Fitzpatrick (Division III) and Keiser’s Doug Socha (NAIA) are the 2023 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.
DeBoer won his fourth AFCA National Coach of the Year award by leading Washington to the most wins in program history, an appearance in the College Football Playoff national title game and the Pac-12 Championship. The Huskies finished 14-1 on the season after falling to Michigan in the CFP National Championship game. DeBoer has a record of 25-3 at Washington and 104-12 overall with stops at Fresno State and Sioux Falls. He won his first three AFCA National Coach of the Year honors at Sioux Falls where he guided the Cougars to a 67-3 record and three NAIA national titles from 2005-09.
Gattuso earned his first AFCA National honor by leading UAlbany to its first-ever Coastal Athletic Association title, its first 11-win season and first appearance in the FCS semifinals. The Great Danes finished the 2023 season at 11-4 and beat No. 4 Idaho on the road to earn their appearance in the semifinals. Gattuso has won 50 games in his 10 years as head coach at UAlbany and has an overall record of 147-93 including his 12 years as head coach at Duquesne. He becomes the first head coach from UAlbany to win AFCA National Coach of the Year.
Simmons guided Harding to a 15-0 record, the Great American Conference title and the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II national championship. With its 502 rushing yards in the national championship game, Harding became the first team in college football history to rush for more than 6,000 yards in a season. Simmons completed his eighth season as head coach of the Bisons and has an overall record of 65-13 with five playoff appearances and two GAC titles. This is his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor, and he is the first head coach from Harding to ever win this award.
In only his third season as head coach, Fitzpatrick led Cortland to a 14-1 record and the program’s first-ever NCAA Division III national championship. The Red Dragons have won three straight Empire 8 conference titles under Fitzpatrick with three straight trips to the Division III playoffs. He has a record of 34-4 at Cortland and an overall record of 68-33 including his seven years as head coach at Morrisville State. This is Fitzpatrick’s first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor, and he is the first head coach from Cortland to win this award.
Socha earned his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor by leading Keiser to the program’s first NAIA National title. The Seahawks went 12-2 in 2023, won the Sun Conference and beat Northwestern (Iowa), 31-21, in a rematch of last year’s national championship game. Since beginning the football program at Keiser in 2018, Socha has an overall record of 55-15 with five straight conference titles and five straight trips to the NAIA playoffs. He is the first coach from Keiser to win this honor.
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.
