The Award

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year is awarded to the college football coach who best demonstrates responsibility, integrity, and excellence on and off the field. Team records, player statistics, and community involvement are just a few of the criteria reviewed during the selection process.

In 2007, we'll name a Coach of the Year in each NCAA Division: DI, DIAA, DII, and DIII. The award process will take place over the course of the entire college football season, and fan votes will be crucial to the outcome.

The winner in each division will be chosen using a combination of fan votes and votes received from members of the 2007 Coach of the Year Selection Committee.
Criteria
The top 25 coaches in each division will be scored against the following criteria using an objective evaluation model endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame:
COACHING EXCELLENCE
Results
  • Current season Wins
  • Year over year wins change in comparison to respective conference
  • Current season ratings
  • Year over year ratings change in comparison to respective conference
Team Discipline
  • Total number of penalties in comparison to the respective conference average
SPORTSMANSHIP / INTEGRITY
On-Field Sportsmanship
  • Total personal foul penalties
Off-Field Integrity
  • Absence of integrity violations by head coach or staff
  • Absence of integrity violations per player per incident
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Academic Progress
(DI and DIAA only)
  • Current academic progress rate (APR) scores
  • Year over year APR score change in comparison to respective division
Academic All-Americans
  • Number of All-Americans during the current year
  • Total number of All-Americans in the past 3 seasons ('05, '06, '07)
COMMUNITY COMMITMENT
Community Commitment
  • Activities (one-time) or programs (ongoing and/or repetitive) instituted and/or participated in during 2007

To be a finalist, a coach must not have:
  • Major program infractions assessed by the NCAA in the current year (2007) at the school he represents
  • APR penalties assessed to his program by the NCAA in the last two reporting periods
  • Major integrity violations during 2007 (also applies to members of coach's staff)

Liberty Mutual reserves the right to disqualify any coach who has committed any act or become involved in any situation tending to bring the coach into public disrepute, contempt or scandal.

The Award

Selection Committee

2006 Recap

WINNER SELECTION PROCESS

Thank you for voting for the 2007 Coach of the Year. Fan votes were combined with votes from the Selection Committee, including members of the College Football Hall of Fame and the national media, and were tallied to determine this year’s winners. Your support was crucial to the outcome of this award.
9/6 - 11/27 OPEN FAN VOTING
  • Fans pick the top 25 coaches in Divisions I, IAA, II, and III

11/28 - 12/4 FINALISTS SELECTION
  • The top 25 from each division are scored using an objective evaluation model endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame
  • 10 finalists in DI and 5 finalists in each DIAA, DII, and DIII will be named

12/5 - 12/15 FINALISTS VOTING
  • Fans and Selection Committee members vote for the 2007 Coach of the Year in each Division

12/16 - 12/28 VOTE TALLY
  • Fan votes are combined with votes from select Hall of Fame members and members of the national media to pick the 2007 Coach of the Year
  • Fans = 20%, Hall of Fame = 55%, National Media = 25%

12/29 Winners Announced!