Dan Brooks named FBS Assistant of the Year

by Press Release - Wed Nov 30 10:21:07 GMT-04:00 2016

The American Football Coaches Association is proud to announce its 2016 Assistant Coach of the Year winners. One assistant coach from the five divisions of college football has been selected for their dedication to their teams and communities. A total of 76 nominees from Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA were nominated in 2016.

Each year, staff representatives from NCAA and NAIA football-playing schools are asked to nominate an assistant for consideration. From those nominations, the winners are selected by the AFCA Public Relations Committee.

The Assistant Coach of the Year award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA professional organization involvement.

The 2016 honorees are as follows:

Football Bowl Subdivision–Dan Brooks, Associate Head Coach/Defensive Tackles, Clemson University

Football Championship Subdivision–Eric Dooley, Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach, Grambling State University

Division II–Mike Aldrich, Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line/Linebackers, Southwest Minnesota State University

Division III–Scott Kirchoff, Quarterbacks Coach, Bethel (Minn.) University

NAIA–Lou Varley, Quarterbacks/Fullbacks Coach, Peru State College

“Once again, five outstanding assistant coaches have been selected for their dedication, not only to their teams, but to their communities,” said Executive Director Todd Berry. “Often times, the head coach receives much of the credit for his team’s success, but any head coach is only as good as his assistants. Much of an assistant coach’s work is done behind the scenes. It is our pleasure to bring it to the forefront.”

The criteria for the award is not limited to on-field coaching ability or the success of the team and players that these assistant coaches work with. Service to the community through charitable work and other volunteer activities, participation in AFCA activities and events, participation in other professional organizations and impact on student-athletes are all taken into account in the selection process.

Winners of the Assistant Coach of the Year Award will receive a plaque to commemorate the award. They will be honored at the AFCA Honors Luncheon, Monday, January 9 at the 2017 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.