Utah Utes' Whittingham named Coach of Year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham may have been the only coach to cast a No. 1 vote for his team. On Tuesday, his fellow coaches gave him a consolation prize by naming him the American Football Coaches Association's Coach of the Year award in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Whittingham's Utes went 13-0 and beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl for the best record in the school's 115-year history. Utah also has the longest current bowl winning streak at eight with Whittingham winning the last four. But Utah finished No. 2 in The Associated Press poll and fourth in the coaches' final poll.

Coaches voted for the top coach in each division during the AFCA convention here, and the winners were announced Tuesday before the AFCA's annual awards dinner.

The other coaches of the year included Mike London of Richmond in the Football Championship Subdivision, Mel Tjeerdsma of Northwest Missouri State in Division II, Larry Kehres of Mount Union in Division III and Kalen DeBoer of Sioux Falls in NAIA.