The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards, presented by ProGrass, are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. Finalists were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors and other athletic department personnel. The winner will be chosen by the previous winner & a select committee of coaches.
The 2014 FootballScoop Coaches of the Year will be recognized and will receive their awards at an event held in their honor at the American Football Coaches Association's annual convention in January in Louisville, KY.
Tyler Siskey (Alabama) was named the inaugural FootballScoop Player Personnel Director of the Year award winner in 2013.
Matt Dudek, Arizona
Long before he was the best defensive player in college football, Scooby Wright was a two-star recruit with one FBS offer. Dudek identified a gem in Wright, and that investment brought back 153 tackles, 14 sacks and a nation-leading 27 tackles for loss, plus the Bednarik and Lombardi award and a handful of All-America teams. An original member of Rich Rodriguez's staff at Arizona, Dudek has helped bring a slew of talented players - and social media buzz - to Tucson ever since. Dudek has also served on player personnel staffs at Rutgers and Pittsburgh.
Mark Pantoni, Ohio State
In a way, the J.T. Barrett injury created the greatest accomplishment to Mark Pantoni's work at Ohio State he could have ever received. After former third-string quarterback Cardale Jones carved up Wisconsin, College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Jeff Long said that 59-0 "spoke volumes about the strength of the team." An original member of Urban Meyer's staff in Columbus, Pantoni has gone three-for-three in signing top five recruiting classes. Pantoni spent five years at Florida before migrating to Ohio State and was a finalist for this same award in 2013.
Austin Thomas, LSU
In his second year on staff at LSU, Thomas has turned heads in his short time on Les Miles' staff. Ed Orgeron described him as "a future NFL GM," and LSU assistant Frank Wilson said, "there is no one better at this. He is brilliant beyond words." Prior to joining LSU's staff, Thomas served in a similar capacity at USC.
ProGrass LLC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has established itself as one of the preeminent names in the synthetic turf industry. ProGrass installations can be located from Connecticut to California. The ProGrass product has been received as "One of the Best Products on the Market" by many customers who have spent years evaluating this industry. The reason is simple: we know the industry and have developed the TEAM, the products and processes that exceed the expectations of our demanding and knowledgeable customers. We don’t just sell turf, we know turf! For more information please visit: ProGrassTurf.com
Created in 1999, FootballScoop.com is the premier source for coaching job information and has evolved into 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 1st hand, timely & accurate information for our audience. FootballScoop.com is the premier provider of official job postings.