SONNY DYKES, JOHN STIEGELMEIER, BRANDON MOORE, STEVE JOHNSON AND MATT McCARTY NAMED AFCA’S 2022 NATIONAL COACHES OF THE YEAR
January 9, 2023
During the 2023 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention, the AFCA presented its top coaching award — AFCA National Coach of the Year — to five outstanding coaches.
TCU’s Sonny Dykes (FBS), South Dakota State’s John Stiegelmeier (FCS), Colorado School of Mines’ Brandon Moore (Division II), Bethel’s (Minn.) Steve Johnson (Division III) and Northwestern’s (Iowa) Matt McCarty (NAIA) are the 2022 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.
In his first season as head coach, Dykes led TCU to a victory in the Fiesta Bowl and the program’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The Horned Frogs are 13-1 and completed an undefeated regular season. Dykes has an overall record of 84-64 in his 12 years as head coach. He spent three years as head coach at Louisiana Tech from 2010 to 2012, leading the Bulldogs to a Western Athletic Conference title in 2011. Dykes was head coach at California from 2013-16, then took over at SMU from 2018 to 2021, guiding the Mustangs to three bowl games.
Stiegelmeier has been the head coach at South Dakota State for 26 years and takes home his first AFCA FCS National Coach of the Year honor after leading the Jackrabbits to a 14-1 record, their first out-right Missouri Valley Football Conference title and the program’s first FCS National Championship. He has an overall record of 199-112 and has led South Dakota State to 11 straight appearances in the FCS playoffs, reaching the semifinals in five of the last six years.
In his first season as head coach, Moore led Colorado School of Mines to their first-ever Division II national championship game. The Orediggers finished the 2022 season off with a 13-3 record and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title. Moore was Colorado Mines’ linebackers coach from 2016 to 2018, then defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021 before being named head coach. A former linebacker on Oklahoma’s 2000 national championship season, Moore played in the NFL for seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers and the San Diego Chargers.
Johnson led Bethel to a 10-3 record in 2022, including a trip to the Division III quarterfinals, earning him his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor. Head coach of the Royals since 1989, Johnson has racked up 244 victories making him the career wins leader among active coaches in Division III. He has guided the Royals to the Division III playoffs 11 times, making an appearance in the semifinals twice. Bethel has only had two losing seasons in his 33 years as head coach.
McCarty led Northwestern (Iowa) to a 13-1 record and a NAIA national championship in 2022, earning him his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor. In his seven seasons as head coach, McCarty has an overall record of 67-18 with two national championship game appearances. The Red Raiders have reached the NAIA playoffs for six straight seasons and have gone 36-5 over the last three seasons.
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 2023 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention, the AFCA presented its top coaching award — AFCA National Coach of the Year — to five outstanding coaches.
TCU’s Sonny Dykes (FBS), South Dakota State’s John Stiegelmeier (FCS), Colorado School of Mines’ Brandon Moore (Division II), Bethel’s (Minn.) Steve Johnson (Division III) and Northwestern’s (Iowa) Matt McCarty (NAIA) are the 2022 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.
In his first season as head coach, Dykes led TCU to a victory in the Fiesta Bowl and the program’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The Horned Frogs are 13-1 and completed an undefeated regular season. Dykes has an overall record of 84-64 in his 12 years as head coach. He spent three years as head coach at Louisiana Tech from 2010 to 2012, leading the Bulldogs to a Western Athletic Conference title in 2011. Dykes was head coach at California from 2013-16, then took over at SMU from 2018 to 2021, guiding the Mustangs to three bowl games.
Stiegelmeier has been the head coach at South Dakota State for 26 years and takes home his first AFCA FCS National Coach of the Year honor after leading the Jackrabbits to a 14-1 record, their first out-right Missouri Valley Football Conference title and the program’s first FCS National Championship. He has an overall record of 199-112 and has led South Dakota State to 11 straight appearances in the FCS playoffs, reaching the semifinals in five of the last six years.
In his first season as head coach, Moore led Colorado School of Mines to their first-ever Division II national championship game. The Orediggers finished the 2022 season off with a 13-3 record and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title. Moore was Colorado Mines’ linebackers coach from 2016 to 2018, then defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021 before being named head coach. A former linebacker on Oklahoma’s 2000 national championship season, Moore played in the NFL for seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers and the San Diego Chargers.
Johnson led Bethel to a 10-3 record in 2022, including a trip to the Division III quarterfinals, earning him his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor. Head coach of the Royals since 1989, Johnson has racked up 244 victories making him the career wins leader among active coaches in Division III. He has guided the Royals to the Division III playoffs 11 times, making an appearance in the semifinals twice. Bethel has only had two losing seasons in his 33 years as head coach.
McCarty led Northwestern (Iowa) to a 13-1 record and a NAIA national championship in 2022, earning him his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor. In his seven seasons as head coach, McCarty has an overall record of 67-18 with two national championship game appearances. The Red Raiders have reached the NAIA playoffs for six straight seasons and have gone 36-5 over the last three seasons.
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.
