Steve Ryan was named the AFCA NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

Steve Ryan has been named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2015 NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year.

Ryan was named the NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row and for the fifth time in his career. He was also named the AFCA NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year in 2005, 2001, and 2012.

Ryan, Jim McElwain of the University of Florida, John Grass of Jacksonville State University, and Mike Swider of Wheaton College were this year’s repeat winners as an AFCA region coach of the year.

Ryan and the other AFCA region coach of the year recipients will be recognized at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner to be held Jan. 12 at the 2016 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas. The other NAIA Region Coach of the Year award winners from the NAIA are Drew Cronic of Reinhardt University for Region 1, Kevin Donley of the University of Saint Francis for Region 2, Mike Grossner of Baker University for Region 3, and Donnie Yantis of Arizona Christian University for Region 5.

Ryan guided the Mustangs to a 12-2 record and a NAIA No. 1 national ranking during the 2015 season, including a perfect 9-0 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) to win their fifth consecutive GPAC championship. The Mustangs made their 12th consecutive post-season appearance in the NAIA Championship Series for the longest active streak in the nation. Morningside reached the NAIA Championship Series Semifinals for the fourth year in a row, where it lost 30-27 against defending NAIA National Champion Southern Oregon University this past Saturday.

Ryan has a 132-37 record for a .781 winning percentage at Morningside for the most football coaching victories and the highest victory rate in Morningside history. He is a five-time GPAC Coach of the Year and was the 2004 NAIA Football.net National Coach of the Year.