Let the complaining commence.
Wednesday morning, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced it National Assistant Coaches of the Year for the five levels of college football (FBS, FCS, D-II, D-III and NAIA), with Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris taking home honors at the FBS level.
Morris was one of three finalists for the AFCA award, along with Alabama tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Bobby Williams and Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel. As for how the finalists and winners are determined, the AFCA release states that “staff representatives from NCAA and NAIA football-playing schools are asked to nominate an assistant for consideration. From those nominations, a winner is selected by the AFCA Public Relations Committee.”
In other words, blame them not me.
Morris has directed an offense that is currently 10th in the country in yards per game and scoring, one year after finishing sixth and ninth in the nation in those categories, respectively. That prolific offense has helped Clemson to a 21-3 record the past two seasons.
Below are the finalists for all five AFCA awards, with the winners appearing in bold:
Football Bowl Subdivision
Bobby Williams, Alabama
Chad Morris, Clemson
Josh Heupel, Oklahoma
Football Championship Subdivision
Nick Calcutta, Delaware State
Chuck Hepola, Nicholls State
John Banaszak, Robert Morris
Division II
Denares Waites, Carson-Newman
Alvin Parker, Elizabeth City State
Mike Barela, Northeastern State
Division III
Louis Stokes, Bluffton
Michael Schmidt, Dubuque
Ahmaad Smith, Hampden-Sydney
NAIA
Jim Hogan, Carroll (Mont.)
Matt McCarty, Northwestern (Iowa)
Josh Homolka, Ottawa