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AFCA Press Release

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Former Northwest Missouri State University head football coach Adam Dorrel was named the 2016 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coach of the Year. For Dorrel, who was named the head coach at Abilene Christian on Dec. 19, 2016, it marks his third AFCA Coach of the Year honor, winning in 2013 and 2015.

The current balloting procedure involves selection of 25 regional winners: five regional winners in each of the five divisions – FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA. Following regional voting, five national winners – one from each division – are chosen. All schools with eligible AFCA head coaches are listed on the national ballots and members are not limited to voting for regional winners.

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. The award started in 1935 with the Division II Coach of the Year first being named in 1983. Mary Hardin-Baylor's Pete Fredenburg (Division III) and Kevin Donley from St. Francis (NAIA) joined Dorrel as 2016 AFCA National Coach of the Year winners. Division I winners will be announced at the awards banquet.

Northwest went 15-0 for the second straight season, capturing the program's sixth NCAA title. The Bearcats led the nation in total defense (240.9 ypg), rushing defense (67.7 ypg) and scoring defense (12.0 ppg). The Northwest offense led the country in red zone offense at 96.2 percent. In all, the team was ranked in the NCAA's top-20 in 29 different categories.

Rich Wright was introduced as the 20th head coach of Bearcat football on Dec. 19, 2016. The press conference can be found HERE.