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WNE's Barry on Coach-of-The-Year ballot |
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SPRINGFIELD — The Western New England (WNE) football team enjoyed its best season ever in 2011 with a 10-2 record and fans can support the university and program by voting for Keith Emery in the Liberty Mutual Coach-of-the-Year online balloting for Division III.
The Golden Bears also finished first in the Boyd Division of the New England Football Conference (NEFC) with a perfect 7-0 record and captured the program’s first-ever NEFC Championship with a dramatic 20-13 overtime victory over Framingham State.
WNE then made its inaugural appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship dropping an opening round game to No. 13 Salisbury (Md.).
Also worth noting is that Emery’s squad enjoyed a school-record nine-game winning streak this fall and finished second behind Amherst in the New England Division III Coaches Poll.
WNE also received votes for the first time in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Poll.
Emery was voted the NEFC Boyd Division Coach-of-the-Year for the second straight season and is a candidate for the New England Coach-of-the-Year award.
One final item just as significant is the team’s success is its commitment to community service. Every year coaches and players participate in several area projects, including the Springfield chapter of Rebuilding Together.
The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award recognizes one college football coach from each division (I-FBS, I-FCS, II and III) by rewarding them for their sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence. Winners will receive $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.
Fans may vote for one coach in each division every day until Dec. 3. The top 15 vote-getters in each division are evaluated based on sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence. The selection committee then chooses 10 finalists from Division I-FBS, five from Division I-FCS, five from Division II and five from Division III.
Should Emery be named a finalist, fans will again have the opportunity to vote on the finalists from each division to impact who will be named a 2011 Liberty Mutual Coach-of-the-Year. The national media and the College Football Hall of Fame selection committee also place their final votes.
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