In a year when terms like “NIL” and “transfer portal” captured headlines, it was the action on the field and the welcome sound of fans returning to stadiums that that highlighted the 2021 college football season.
And, boy, were there highlights.
For the first time since 2018, no team finished undefeated, a Group of Five team advanced to the college playoff and numerous colleges, universities accepted invitations to new conferences and numerous NCAA records were set on the field.
Still, the backbone of college football remains its coaches. And we are honored to announce the winners of the 2021 FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by AstroTurf. These awards are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football.
The finalists for each award were selected from nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic director personnel. The prior winners of the award then choose the winner from the list of finalists. If asked, most of the winners will tell you that this award means much more than others because it is chosen by their peers. Now in its 13th year, the FootballScoop Awards presented by AstroTurf has grown into a highly anticipated event within the football coaching profession. Awards are handed out to the winners at a reception during the American Football Coaches Association Convention each year.
Offensive Coordinator of the Year – Jeff Grimes, Baylor
Defensive Coordinator of the Year – Jim Knowles, Oklahoma State
Quarterbacks Coach of the Year – Zach Kittley, Western Kentucky
Running Backs Coach of the Year – William Peagler, Michigan State
Wide Recievers Coach of the Year – Brian Hartline, Ohio State
Tight End Coach of the Year – Todd Hartley, Georgia
Offensive Line Coach of the Year – Jim Harding, Utah
Defensive Line Coach of the Year – Shaun Nua, Michigan
Linebackers Coach of the Year – Ron Roberts and Caleb Collins, Baylor
Defensive Backs Coach of the Year – Phil Parker, Iowa State
Special Teams Coordinator of the Year – Jay Harbaugh, Michigan
Football Operations Director of the Year – Ben Thienes, San Jose State
Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year – Scott Sinclair, Georgia
FCS Coordinator of the Year – David Braun, North Dakota State
Division II Coordinator of the Year – Ryan Hodges, Ferris State
Division III Coordinator of the Year – Nick Brady, Delaware Valley
NAIA Coordinator of the Year – Andrew Rode, Morningside
FootballScoop and AstroTurf are excited to partner together to present these well-deserved awards each year.
For more information about each individual award, please visit www.footballscoop.com
About FootballScoop
Created in 1999, FootballScoop.com is the premier source for coaching job information and has long been the most widely viewed website by coaches, athletic directors, strength & conditioning coaches, operations and equipment staff across America. As the leading coaching job information venue, FootballScoop.com serves our viewers’ needs by providing first hand, timely & accurate information for our audience. FootballScoop.com is the premier provider of official job postings.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit AstroTurf’s newly redesigned website at www.astroturf.com.