Coach of the Year

[89Hen]

I know it's rare for the AFCA Coach of the Year to not have advanced to at least the national semifinals, but my pick this year is Jason Simpson at UTM. In his first year he led them to their first playoffs and highest win total (by 3).

Here are the regional COY's. Who is your pick?

Region 1: Don Brown - Massachusetts
Region 2: Jerry Moore - Appalachian State
Region 3: Jason Simpson - Tennessee-Martin
Region 4: Jon Heacock - Youngstown State
Region 5: Bobby Hauck - Montana

BTW, I'm not sure when the vote takes place (these were announced Sunday) but talk about chalk votes. :rolleyes:

[bison95]

My write in "homer" vote to Craig Bohl at NDSU:D

My vote for most deserving to Stiegelmeier at SDSU! He really turned around his program after a start to the season that could have sent them spinning to 0 wins!

[saint0917]

No "Homer" for me, I picked Jerry Moore- App. State.

[henfan]

Bohl got my vote, with Simpson a close second.

[Ivytalk]

I agree with the Simpson pick. He did a great job with those kids.

[BillLuc1982]

I'm surprised Bohl wasn't up there.

[Mr. C]

Simpson was basically just picking up with the players that Matt Griffin left him. Not that Simpson didn't do a great job (he was on my ballot for the Eddie Robinson Award), but he already had a lot to work with. Ironically, Donald Chapman, the star RB for UTM, said in a recent I-AA.Waves broadcast that Simpson didn't make that much of a difference.

A couple of other names I'd throw out there: Craig Bohl from North Dakota State and Roger Hughes from Princeton. Bohl has done a great job rebuilding the Bison program. Hughes took a team that was suppose to be middle of the pack in a good Ivy League this year and won a co-championship.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

What Mr. C said, but no list is complete without Arkansas-PB's "Mo" Forte. He took a Golden Lion team that was a backwater to an 8-3 record and one game away from the school's first SWAC title in something like 30 years.

[CCU97]

What no love for Harbaugh in SD? I do think he has done a good job out there...But my vote went to Moore and App St. He built this team and has coached them to greatness!

[89Hen]

Simpson was basically just picking up with the players that Matt Griffin left him. Not that Simpson didn't do a great job (he was on my ballot for the Eddie Robinson Award), but he already had a lot to work with. Ironically, Donald Chapman, the star RB for UTM, said in a recent I-AA.Waves broadcast that Simpson didn't make that much of a difference.
Maybe, but 6-5 to 9-2 is a pretty big jump for somebody new to the team. Had the former OC or DC for UTM been promoted and gone 7-4 or 8-3, I could see that as just riding Griffin's coattails. :twocents:

[BillLuc1982]

What no love for Harbaugh in SD? I do think he has done a good job out there...But my vote went to Moore and App St. He built this team and has coached them to greatness!

SD's athletic director should get AD of the year for scheduling tough schools :rolleyes:

[VT Wildcat Fan53]

I'm all for giving my vote to Jason Simpson - Tennessee-Martin, BUT only if he promises to share it with Matt Griffin who set the stage for Simpson, then was offered and took the Murray State job. MSU knew what they were doing -- and getting! -- and now the rest of the nation does, too.

Congratulations to Coach Simpson for an incredible & record-setting year. :thumbsup:

Thank you to Coach Griffin for making it possible! Way to go, Griff! :thumbsup: We're expecting the same great results in KY. Maybe we can even get a matchup with a certain old guard New England team ...