Release courtesy of the Ohio Dominican University Sports Information Department
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After guiding Ohio Dominican's football team to a 7-4 record, including a 6-4 mark in GLIAC play, second-year head football coach Bill Conley was selected as the OhioCollegeFootball.Com FCS/Division II Coach of the Year, announced today.
The OhioCollegeFootball.com Coach of the Year is given annually to the top head coaches from Ohio in all divisions – NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III.
Conley helped engineer a five-win improvement from the 2010 campaign, as well as a four-win improvement in the GLIAC. The Panthers finished in a tie for third in the GLIAC South Division and in a tie for fifth in the overall GLIAC standings.
The Panthers bounced back from a three-game losing skid to win five of their last six games, including a win over eventual GLIAC champion and No. 22 ranked Hillsdale and victories over regionally ranked Ashland and Indianapolis.
ODU set single-season record in rushing yards, attempts and yards per game and finished with one of the most prolific rushing attacks in the GLIAC, averaging a school-record 211.7 yards per game on the ground. The Panthers averaged nearly 38.5 points per game in their final six outings of the season and an opportunistic defense limited the opposition to just 20 points per game in the final four, all Panther victories.
Following the season, 10 Panthers garnered All-GLIAC recognition, and senior running back Mike Noffsinger (West Branch, Mich.) was recognized as a Harlon Hill Trophy Candidate as one of the top players in the country. The Panthers also excelled in the classroom, leading the GLIAC with 39 academic all-conference selections, while four players picked up Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
Conley will be honored at a banquet on Saturday, April 13, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza North in Columbus, Ohio on the eve of the Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl III at Crew Stadium.