Our finalists have been selected

Today through December 20, 2012 you can vote for one finalist in each division, once per day. Check back each day to see who leads the rankings, and who needs your vote to be titled the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year. In addition to fan voting, respected members of the College Football Hall of Fame and National Media will be voting for the coaches they feel best embody our Coach of the Year criteria.

Award Overview

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award recognizes college football coaches who demonstrate Sportsmanship, Integrity, Responsibility and Excellence both on and off the field. Endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame, the program awards one winning coach from each NCAA division (I-FBS, I-FCS, II, and III) with $50,000 to donate to a charity of their choice, a $20,000 grant to each school’s alumni association, and the Coach of the Year trophy.

« Search Again What's an Official Vote?

Feel free to Tweet or Retweet directly from Twitter, but remember that in order for the Tweet to count as a vote, it needs to include the following: full coach name, full college name, @lmcoachofyear, #COTY2012 , and http://coachoftheyear.com.

We've made choosing your coach even easier. Click on one below and skip right to your vote.

Division I-FBS Finalists

Division I-FCS Finalists

Division II Finalists

Division III Finalists

Leaderboard

Division I-FBS

votes
  1. Bill O'Brien Penn State University 7481
  2. Bill Snyder Kansas State University 2730
  3. Jim Mora UCLA 2467
  4. Brian Kelly Notre Dame 2126
  5. Dabo Swinney Clemson University 960
  6. Mark Richt University of Georgia 932
  7. Charlie Strong University of Louisville 788
  8. Urban Meyer Ohio State University 669
  9. Kevin Sumlin Texas A&M University 538
  10. Nick Saban University of Alabama 342
  11. Paul Johnson Georgia Institute of Technology 0
  12. Tom O'Brien NC State 0
  13. Larry Fedora University of North Carolina 0
  14. Jimbo Fisher Florida State University 0
  15. Frank Beamer Virginia Tech University 0
  16. Jim Grobe Wake Forest University 0
  17. Randy Edsall University of Maryland 0
  18. Mike London University of Virginia 0
  19. David Cutcliffe Duke University 0
  20. Frank Spaziani Boston College 0
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Division I-FCS

votes
  1. Jeff Monken Georgia Southern University 721
  2. Joe Moglia Coastal Carolina University 690
  3. Rob Ash Montana State University 412
  4. Danny Rocco University of Richmond 258
  5. Willie Fritz Sam Houston State University 234
  6. Earnest Collins Jr. University of Northern Colorado 0
  7. Marshall Sperbeck Sacramento State University 0
  8. Beau Baldwin Eastern Washington University 0
  9. Chris Mussman University of North Dakota 0
  10. Jerome Souers Northern Arizona University 0
  11. Nigel Burton Portland State University 0
  12. Mike Kramer Idaho State University 0
  13. Mick Delaney University of Montana 0
  14. Jody Sears Weber State University 0
  15. Ed Lamb Southern Utah University 0
  16. Tim Walsh Cal Poly 0
  17. Bob Biggs UC Davis 0
  18. Ron Dickerson, Jr. Gardner-Webb University 0
  19. Sparky Woods VMI 0
  20. Jay Mills Charleston Southern University 0
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Division II

votes
  1. Mark Maciejewski Shippensburg University 540
  2. Scott Maxfield Henderson State University 238
  3. Bob Nielson University of Minnesota Duluth 190
  4. Peter Rossomando University of New Haven 181
  5. Jed Stugart University of Sioux Falls 99
  6. David Brown Missouri S&T 0
  7. Waverly Tillar Elizabeth City State University 0
  8. Connell Maynor Winston-Salem State University 0
  9. Kenny Phillips Fayetteville State University 0
  10. Olabaniji Abanishe Lincoln University (Pa.) 0
  11. Steven Aycock Johnson C. Smith University 0
  12. Michael Bailey Virginia Union University 0
  13. Michael Costa Saint Augustine's College 0
  14. Andrew Faison Virginia State University 0
  15. Damon Wilson Bowie State University 0
  16. Elvin James Livingstone College 0
  17. Robert Massey Shaw University 0
  18. Tim Place Chowan University 0
  19. Dan Cocannouer Southwestern Oklahoma State University 0
  20. Ray Richards Southeastern Oklahoma State University 0
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Division III

votes
  1. Pat Cerroni University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 747
  2. Glenn Caruso University of St. Thomas 632
  3. Jim Catanzaro Lake Forest College 473
  4. Steve Staker Coe College 218
  5. Lonnie Pries Concordia University Chicago 57
  6. Pete Fredenburg University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 0
  7. Mark Sartain East Texas Baptist University 0
  8. Jesse Burleson Hardin-Simmons University 0
  9. Wayne Shroeder Sul Ross State University 0
  10. Danny Padron Texas Lutheran University 0
  11. Roger Geise Howard Payne University 0
  12. Norman Joseph Mississippi College 0
  13. Dennis Dunn Louisiana College 0
  14. Hal Mumme McMurry University 0
  15. John Troxell Franklin and Marshall College 0
  16. Jim Margraff Johns Hopkins University 0
  17. Steve Briggs Susquehanna University 0
  18. Barry Streeter Gettysburg College 0
  19. Mike Donnelly Muhlenberg College 0
  20. Darwin Breaux Dickinson College 0
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Get to know the coaches

Steve Staker

Coe College

Division III

In his fifth season as head coach at Coe College, Steve Staker led his team to a perfect 10-0 regular season. The Kohawks locked up their first outright Iowa Conference football championship under Staker’s lead this season. Staker has been an integral part of the Kohawks football staff, serving as defensive coordinator, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator prior to becoming head coach in 2008. He is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletics Coaches and serves on the Marion United Methodist Church Board of Marion Cares, where he dedicates much of his time giving to those in need.

Selection Criteria

Coaching is bigger than a game

Fan voting will decide the top 15 coaches from each division who will qualify for our objective scoring model endorsed by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The model will produce ten finalists from Division I-FBS and five finalist coaches from each of the three other divisions, based on the criteria below.

Sportsmanship

The best coaches conduct themselves in an honorable way on and off the field. By treating their players, opposing coaches and the media with respect, they set an example for everyone to follow.

Integrity

Integrity means knowing how to win the right way. The best coaches refuse to bend or break the rules to keep their teams on top and require the same from their players.

Responsibility

Coaches aren’t just leaders of their team, but also leaders in their community. They give back to their schools and communities that cheer on their teams every week.

Excellence

Wins and losses aren’t the only measure of excellence. It’s also about encouraging student-athletes to excel in the classroom so they be successful in anything they pursue when their playing days are done.

On the Field — Wins, penalties, and year-over-year improvements are among the measures of on-field excellence by the coach, his staff, and his team.

Off the Field — The coach’s commitment to education is measured by academic progress rate (APR) scores for the Division I schools and success at producing Academic All-Americans for Divisions II and III.

How the winners are selected

Fan votes

College hall of fame selection committee votes

National media votes

College Hall of Fame selection committee

  • Bob Anderson
  • Jim Ballard
  • Tom Beck
  • Tom Brahaney
  • Roger Brown
  • Teel Bruner
  • Marino Casem
  • Chuck Cecil
  • Jim Christopher-
    son
  • Carmen Cozza
  • John Cooper
  • Jeff Davis
  • Dan Dierdorf
  • Jim Dombroski
  • Terry Donahue
  • Vince Dooley
  • Joe Dudek
  • LaVell Edwards
  • Dick Farley
  • Joe Fusco
  • Archie Griffin
  • Bob Griese
  • Roger Harring
  • Chad Hennings
  • Lou Holtz
  • Jim Houston
  • Don James
  • Billy Joe
  • Johnnie Johnson
  • Brian Kelley
  • Ted Kessinger
  • Roy Kidd
  • Gordie Lockbaum
  • Ronnie Loft
  • Archie Manning
  • Fred Martinelli
  • Mark May
  • Rueben Mayes
  • Randall McDaniel
  • Don McPherson
  • Darrell Murda
  • Don Nehlen
  • Tom Osborne
  • Tubby Raymond
  • Bob Reade
  • John Robinson
  • James Saxton
  • Jeff Siemon
  • Bruce Smith
  • Jim Sochor
  • Jessie Tuggle
  • Herschel Walker
  • Curt Warner
  • Frosty Westering
  • Paul Wiggin
  • Reggie Williams
  • Richard Wood
  • Ron Yary

VIEW ALL »

National media

  • Craig Bennett
  • Jack Bogaczyk
  • Christine Brennan
  • Tim Brando
  • Chris Childers
  • Colin Cowherd
  • Steve Conroy
  • Teddy Greenstein
  • Clyde Hughes
  • Dan Jenkins
  • Bill King
  • Ivan Maisel
  • Stewart Mandel
  • Gordie Mann
  • Keith McMillan
  • Brandon Misener
  • Ryan Tipps
  • Kelly Whiteside
  • Bud Withers

VIEW ALL »

*Active football coaches in all NCAA divisions with a winning record are eligible to receive the 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. The winner in each division is chosen using a combination of fan votes and votes received from members of the 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Selection Committee.

To be a finalist, a coach must NOT have had: Major program infractions assessed by the NCAA in the current year (2012) at the school he represents, APR penalties assessed to the program by the NCAA in the last two reporting periods, or major integrity violations during 2012 as determined solely by Liberty Mutual Insurance (also applies to members of coach’s staff).

Voting timeline

Coach of the Year 2012 Timeline

Fan Voting 9/12 – 12/1

Your votes during this period will determine the 15 coaches in each division who are eligible to become finalists.

Evaluation 12/2 – 12/3

The top 15 vote getters in each division are evaluated by an objective scoring model endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame that determines the ten finalists from Division I-FBS, and the five finalists from Division I-FCS, Division II and Division III.

Finalist Voting 12/4 – 12/20

Fans along with the National Media and the College Football Hall of Fame selection committee will cast their votes.

Votes Tallied 12/21 – 1/6/13

Votes are tallied based on the following equation:
20% Fan Votes
55% College Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee Votes
25% National Media Votes

Winners Announced 1/7/13

The four winners are announced at a special ceremony in South Florida in advance of the BCS National Championship Game.

Past Winners

Division I-FBS

Les Miles

LSU

Division I-FCS

Rob Ash

Montana State

Division II

Tim Beck

Pittsburg State

Division III

Glenn Caruso

University of St. Thomas

2011 Finalists

Division I-FBS

  1. Mike Gundy
  2. Brady Hoke
  3. Mark Hudspeth
  4. Mike London
  5. Les Miles
  6. Bobby Petrino
  7. Mark Richt
  8. Nick Saban
  9. Bill Snyder
  10. Dabo Swinney

Division I-FCS

  1. Rob Ambrose
  2. Rob Ash
  3. Tom Gilmore
  4. Jerry Moore
  5. Chris Mussman

Division II

  1. Tim Beck
  2. Bll Maskill
  3. Peter Rossomando
  4. Scott Underwood
  5. John Wristen

Division III

  1. Glenn Caruso
  2. Keith Emery
  3. Steve Johnson
  4. Lance Leipold
  5. Stan Zweifel

Division I-FBS

Gene Chizik

Auburn

Division I-FCS

K.C. Keeler

Delaware

Division II

Bob Nielson

Minnesota Duluth

Division III

Glenn Caruso

University of St. Thomas

2010 Finalists

Division I-FBS

  1. Gene Chizik
  2. Mark Dantonio
  3. Rich Ellerson
  4. Mike Gundy
  5. Chip Kelly
  6. Doug Marrone
  7. Tom O'Brien
  8. Nick Saban
  9. Mike Sherman
  10. Jim Tressel

Division I-FCS

  1. Rob Ash
  2. Beau Baldwin
  3. K. C. Keeler
  4. Danny Rocco
  5. Andy Talley

Division II

  1. Mike Aldrich
  2. Bob Nielson
  3. Tom Sawyer
  4. Marty Schaetzle
  5. Mel Tjeerdsma

Division III

  1. John Auer
  2. Glenn Caruso
  3. Steve Johnson
  4. Clayton Kendrick-Holmes
  5. Matt Land

Division I-FBS

Gary Patterson

TCU

Division I-FCS

Jerry Moore

Appalachian State

Division II

Mel Tjeerdsma

Northwest Missouri State University

Division III

Steve Staker

Coe College

2009 Finalists

Division I-FBS

  1. Mack Brown
  2. Kirk Ferentz
  3. Al Golden
  4. Paul Johnson
  5. Brian Kelly
  6. Joe Paterno
  7. Gary Patterson
  8. Nick Saban
  9. Dabo Swinney

Division I-FCS

  1. Tom Gilmore
  2. Jerry Moore
  3. Danny Rocco
  4. Bob Spoo
  5. John Stiegelmeier

Division II

  1. Boo Atterberry
  2. Danny Hale
  3. Bill Maskill
  4. Bob Nielson
  5. Mel Tjeerdsma

Division III

  1. Steve Briggs
  2. Greg Debeljak
  3. John Gagliardi
  4. Steve Staker
  5. John Troxell

Division I-FBS

Nick Saban

Alabama

Division I-FCS

Mickey Matthews

James Madison

Division II

Chuck Broyles

Pittsburgh State

Division III

Larry Kehres

University of Mount Union

2008 Finalists

Division I-FBS

  1. Mack Brown
  2. Pete Carroll
  3. Pat Fitzgerald
  4. Brady Hoke
  5. Urban Meyer
  6. Joe Paterno
  7. Chris Peterson
  8. Nick Saban
  9. Bob Stoops
  10. Jim Tressel
  11. Kyle Whittingham

Division I-FCS

  1. Mike Ayers
  2. Henry Frazier
  3. MickeyMatthews
  4. Jerry Moore
  5. Danny Rocco

Division II

  1. Chuck Broyles
  2. David Dean
  3. Danny Hale
  4. Chuck Martin
  5. Bill O'Boyle

Division III

  1. Greg Debeljak
  2. John Gagliardi
  3. Larry Kehres
  4. Dan Macneill
  5. Mark Speckman

Division I-FBS

Ron Zook

Illinois

Division I-FCS

Jerry Kill

Minnesota

Division II

Bill O'Boyle

Chadron State

Division III

John Gagliardi

Saint John's University

2007 Finalists

Division I-FBS

  1. Rich Brooks
  2. Sylvester Croom
  3. Paul Johnson
  4. Mark Mangino
  5. Joe Paterno
  6. Mark Richt
  7. Rich Rodrigues
  8. Jim Tressel
  9. Tommy Tuberville
  10. Ron Zook

Division I-FCS

  1. Matt Ballard
  2. Mark Farley
  3. Kevin Higgins
  4. Jerry kill
  5. John Stiegelmeier

Division II

  1. Pat Behrns
  2. Chuck Broyles
  3. Dale Lennon
  4. Dr. George Mihalik
  5. Bill O'Boyle

Division III

  1. Greg Debaljak
  2. John Gagliardi
  3. Eric Hamilton
  4. Joe King
  5. Mike Swider

Division I-FBS

Greg Schiano

Rutgers

2006 Finalists

Division I-FBS

  1. Mack Brown
  2. Bobby Petrino
  3. Greg Schiano
  4. Bob Stoops
  5. Jeff Tedford
  6. Jim Tressel
  7. Tommy Tuberville

Division I-FCS

  1. Danny Hale
  2. Mel Tjeerdsma

Division II

  1. Lloyd Carr

Alumni Perks

There are over 700 college alumni associations in partnership with Liberty Mutual Insurance. As an alumnus of any of these schools, you may be eligible to receive exclusive savings on your home and auto insurance. Check below to see if you qualify and start saving today.

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*Discounts and savings are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; not all applicants may qualify. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA. © 2012 Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved.

Charities

Giving their all to give back

Though the coaches take home a trophy, the real winners are each coach’s favorite charity and their school’s alumni association. Each winner receives $50,000 to donate to charity, and a $20,000 grant to donate to their school’s alumni association.

Since the Coach of the Year award was founded in 2006, Liberty Mutual has donated more than $1 million to several charities and alumni associations in the names of the coaches who bring responsibility to college football. View Pass It On Video to learn more.

Past charities

ALL CHARITIES »

Past Alumni Associations