University of Saint Francis Head Football Coach Kevin Donley highlights the announcement of the American Football Coaches Association’s 2015 Regional Coach of the Year winners.
Donley, who just completed his 37th season as a collegiate head coach, guided the Cougars to a 9-0 regular season. USF finished as the only unbeaten team in NAIA during the regular season. USF ran its record to 11-0 reaching the NAIA FCS Semifinals. This is Donley’s second AFCA Region COTY Award. He also won in 2008, the last time USF went undefeated during the regular season. This was the seventh time the Cougars have gone unbeaten during the regular season under Donley and the 12th time USF has won the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League title.
Donley is the NAIA record-holder for career wins with 289 and he is 175-43-0 in 18 seasons at USF. He is 289-128-1 overall. He ranks second among all active coaches at any level behind Ken Sparks (334 wins) at Carson-Newman.
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 2015 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner at the 2016 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas. The dinner is scheduled for Tues., January 12.
USF, No. 4 in the final regular season NAIA Coaches’ Top 25, lost on Saturday to No. 6 Marian University 45-14 to finish 11-1.