Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
WACO, Texas -- Indiana State head football coach Mike Sanford has been named a 2014 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Regional Coach Of The Year as announced by the national organization.
Sanford is joined in the FCS by New Hampshire's Sean McDonnell, Coastal Carolina's Joe Moglia, Jacksonville State's John Grass and Eastern Washington's Beau Baldwin as AFCA Regional Coaches Of The Year.
The Sycamores completed the 2014 campaign with an 8-6 record. It marked the most victories by an Indiana State football team in 29 seasons of Missouri Valley Football Conference play and its most since a pair of nine-win seasons in both 1983 & 1984. Indiana State returned to the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the first time since 1984 and earned their first playoff victory since 1983 with a 36-16 triumph at Eastern Kentucky. Indiana State played nine nationally-ranked teams this season and won five of those games. Those five wins are tied with North Dakota State and Illinois for the most nationally this season.
Indiana State spent a school-record nine consecutive weeks in the nation's Top 25 en route to their 2014 NCAA FCS Playoff berth. The Sycamores rebounded from a 1-11 mark in 2013 to earn seven more victories this year and recorded the greatest turnaround in college football this season.
A big reason for the success was the Sycamores' +11 turnover margin as well as junior linebacker Connor Underwood with his school record 13.5 quarterback sacks as well as 25 tackles for a loss. Senior quarterback Mike Perish also set the single-season record for pass completions (324), attempts (528), passing yards (3,515), touchdowns thrown (21) and total offense (3,309). Additionally, Perish is the school record holder for passing completions and attempts as well as yards (6,696) and touchdowns thrown (45).
The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA. The winners are selected by Active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.
The 2014 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner at the 2015 AFCA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13.
