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WNE’s Emery named Coach of the Year |
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SPRINGFIELD — Keith Emery is a man of his word.
When the Enfield, Conn. native became the first full-time football coach at Western New England in 2005, he promised he would build and create a program that focused on teamwork and continued success.
Emery did just that and the fruits of his hard work paid off this fall when the Golden Bears posted a 10-2 record for the best mark in the program’s 41-year history.
His team also captured the program’s first New England Football Conference (NEFC) title and made its inaugural appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship.
For his efforts, Emery was selected the New England Football Writers Association Division II/III Coach-of-the-Year on Dec. 2. It’s been a season that Emery and his coaching staff and players will never forget.
Excitement was high when pre-season camp started in August thanks to the return of several starters from last’s squad, which posted a then school-best 9-2 record.
WNE capped a perfect season and placed first in the Boyd Division of the NEFC at 7-0 with a 28-18 road win against UMass Dartmouth on November 5.
Western New England then rallied from a 13-point deficit with four minutes remaining for a dramatic 20-13 overtime victory over Framingham State to win its first-ever NEFC Championship on November 12.
Emery’s squad than made its inaugural appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship dropping a 62-24 decision at No. 13 Salisbury (MD) on November 19.
Western New England received votes for the first-time ever in the final regular season American Football Coaches Association (AFC) Division III poll and finished second behind Amherst in the New England Division III poll.
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