Meet some of the coaches who were honored during the AFCA award ceremony. USA TODAY Sports
CHARLOTTE — The University of Central Florida claimed a mythical national title after an undefeated season, but there was nothing mythical about Scott Frost's award on Tuesday night.
Frost, whose team capped a 13-0 season with a bowl victory over then-No. 7 Auburn, was named the Football Bowl Subdivision coach of the year at the American Football Coaches Association awards show.
"It's a huge honor," Frost said. "It's voted on by the rest of the coaches and it means a lot to our staff and players."
In taking his team to a final ranking of No. 7 in the Amway Coaches Poll, Frost was lured to his alma mater of Nebraska where he is taking over the football program.
"I'm looking forward to a new challenge," Frost said. "Nebraska's home to me, I love it. I know how much we can accomplish."
But before departing Orlando for good, Frost and his staff stayed on to help the Knights to a 34-27 win over Auburn in the Peach Bowl.
"I've had a lot of people at this convention come up and talk to us about how we handled the transition the right way and that means as much to me as the award," Frost said.
"I was worried that all of our blessings and luck would run out in 2017 but we were able to win a game in 2018. I'm rooting for the UCF guys and hope they keep doing things great going forward and I can't wait to start building new relationships with people in Lincoln."
Also honored as coaches of the year in voting by their peers:
- Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State in Football Championship Subdivision
- Pete Shinnick, West Florida, Division II
- Jason Mangone, Brockport, Division III
- Kevin Donley, Saint Francis (Ind.), NAIA
- Scott Strohmeier, Iowa Western, American Community College Football Coaches Association.
Matt Campbell of Iowa State was honored for the USA TODAY Sports Coach’s Play Call of the Year for the two-point version in an upset of Oklahoma.
Jack Lengyel, former Marshall coach and Navy athletics director won the Tuss McLaughry Award for his service to others. Former winners include Gen. Douglas MacArthur, President Ronald Reagan, former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry and legendary Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson.
Arkansas legend Frank Broyles posthumously was awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg award for services that were outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football. Allan Trimble of Jenks (Okla.) High School, who is battling ALS, was the AFCA Power of Influence Award. He has won 13 state championships.
The awards show was held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and broadcast live on the USA TODAY Sports and USA TODAY Facebook pages.
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Frost took a team that went 0-12 in 2015 to UCF’s first undefeated season. Bohannon, who started the Kennesaw State football program three years ago, led the Owls to the FCS quarterfinals, a 12-2 record and the Big South title Shinnick led West Florida to the Division II championship game in just the program’s second year. The Argonauts finished 11-4, winning six in a row — including five over nationally ranked teams — to reach the title game.
Mangone led Brockport to a school-record for victories at 13-1 and a spot in the Division II semifinals. The farthest the program has been in the postseason.
Donley earned back-to-back AFCA NAIA Coach of the Year honors after guiding Saint Francis to its second straight NAIA national championship with a 14-0 record. The Cougars won the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League and are on a 23-game winning streak. The other finalists for NAIA Coach of the Year were Chris Oliver, Lindsey Wilson; Larry Wilcox, Benedictine (Kan.); Steve Ryan, Morningside; Matt McCarty, Northwestern (Iowa); and Charlie Hall, Southern Oregon.
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