Ryan wins third straight AFCA NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year award
Steve Ryan was named the AFCA NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year for the third year in a row.
Morningside College head football coach Steve Ryan has been named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2016 NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year.
Ryan was named the NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year for the third year in a row and for the sixth time in his career. He was named the AFCA NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year in 2005, 2001, 2012 and 2014-16.
Ryan, Mike Houston of James Madison University, John Grass of Jacksonville State University, Drew Cronic of Reinhardt University, Kevin Donley of the University of Saint Francis and Mike Grossner of Baker University were all repeat winners as an AFCA region coach of the year.
The 2016 FBS and FCS Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the inaugural AFCA Awards to be televised live on CBS Network on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, at 8 p.m. Central Time. The 2016 Division II, Division III and NAIA regional winners will be honored at the AFCA Victory Luncheon at the 2017 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tenn., also on Jan. 10 at 11:30 a.m.
The NAIA Region Coach of the Year award winners are Cronic and Chris Oliver of Lindsey Wilson College for Region 1, Donley for Region 2, Grossner for Region 3, Ryan for Region 4 and Chuck Morrell of Montana Tech for Region 5.
Ryan guided the Mustangs to a 10-2 record this past season, including a perfect 8-0 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) to win their sixth consecutive GPAC championship. The Mustangs made their 13th consecutive post-season appearance in the NAIA Championship Series for the longest active streak in the nation. Morningside advanced to the NAIA Championship Series Quarterfinals, where they lost 42-35 against Saint Francis.
Ryan has a 142-39 record for a .785 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.
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