MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Former West Virginia legendary coach and Hall of Famer Don Nehlen was awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, one of the highest awards given by the American Football Coaches Association for lifetime achievement, tonight, during the live broadcast of the organization's Coaches Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

The head coach of West Virginia for 21 seasons, Nehlen received the Alonzo Amos Stagg award for services that have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests in football. The presentation was made by Jeff Hostetler, who played quarterback for Nehlen in the 1980s. Nehlen led the Mountaineers to a 149-93-4 record in 21 seasons, and an overall college record of 202-128-8. Nehlen also headed his alma mater, Bowling Green State University.

 

“I appreciate this award and will cherish it the rest of my life,” Nehlen said. “This is a team game, and I have a lot of players, coaches, and others that were a part of this.”

 

WVU Head Football Coach Dana Holgorsen, named the District 4 Regional Coach of the Year for 2016, was a finalist for National Coach of the Year. Colorado’s Mike McIntyre earned the top honor from the list of five finalists.

 

West Virginia finished its 2016 campaign with a 10-3 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the Big 12, tying for second place. The football program won 10 games for the ninth time in program history and the seven wins are the most as a league member.

 

Less than 24 hours after winning his first national championship, Clemson University head coach Dabo Swinney hoisted the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches’ Trophy presented by Amway. Swinney’s Clemson Tigers won a dramatic rematch against the University of Alabama, 35-31, early Tuesday morning at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Clemson scored the go-ahead touchdown with one second remaining in the sequel to the 2016 national championship game. Swinney was awarded the iconic Waterford crystal football, given to the national champion and number one team atop the Amway Coaches Poll.

 

Swinney’s acceptance of the trophy came during a special presentation, marking the trophy’s 30th anniversary. Many former championship-winning coaches – including Phillip Fulmer, Bob Stoops, Larry Coker, Jim Tressel, Les Miles, Gene Chizik, Jimbo Fisher and Urban Meyer – passed the ball from coach to coach before awarding it to Swinney.

 

The trophy presentation was among several prestigious awards given during Tuesday’s inaugural AFCA Coaches Awards, which are voted on by AFCA-member coaches. The one-hour show was on CBS Sports Network and hosted by 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George. Other awards went to Mike MacIntyre (FBS Coach of the Year and Comeback Coach of the Year); Tom Herman (USA TODAY Sports Coaches Play Call of the Year); Don Nehlen (Amos Alonzo Stagg award); and Mike Houston (FCS Coach of the Year).

 

Clemson’s victory Tuesday marked its first college football championship since the 1981 season, when Danny Ford was the head coach, and the first time the team earned Waterford crystal football which has been awarded to national champions since 1986.

 

Incidentally, it was Swinney – the 2016 AFCA National Coach of the Year in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) – who made the presentation of this year’s National Coach of the Year honors. MacIntyre, who grew up in Nashville and played high school and collegiate football in the Music City, earned the FBS Coach of the Year award, following a 10-4 campaign at the University of Colorado and 8-1 mark in the Pac-12 Conference. MacIntyre, who was nominated for the award after earning regional honors last month, beat out other regional winners Saban; Ken Niumatalolo (U.S. Naval Academy); Dana Holgorsen (West Virginia University); and P.J. Fleck (Western Michigan University; hired last weekend as head coach at the University of Minnesota).

 

“When you take a bunch of young men and rise a program from the ashes, you see the joy, their accomplishments, you see inspiration,” MacIntyre said. “Coaches of all walks of life have inspired me, and that what I’ve wanted to do for others, to inspire. And when young men look at you and trust you, they have a goal, it’s fun to be a dream maker. Thank you to those Colorado Buffaloes, who have laid it all on the line.”

 

MacIntyre also earned the AFCA’s inaugural Comeback Coach of the Year, with the Buffaloes improving to 10-4 after a 4-9 record in 2015. MacIntyre bested two other finalists – coaches Chris Creighton (Eastern Michigan University) and Paul Petrino (University of Idaho).

 

“This is a credit to our players and our administrators, and our program is back,” MacIntyre said of the Comeback award.

 

Former University of Houston head coach Herman was honored with the inaugural USA TODAY Sports Coach’s Play Call of the Year.

 

“This was a play we never expected to use, but when we did, we ran to perfection,” Herman said. “We all have it in the playbook and it’s a unique situation. We just went back there to see what we could do.”

 

Houston, of James Madison University, received the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) National Coach of the Year award, presented by University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Houston – in his first season with JMU – led the Dukes to a 14-1 mark, which included the FCS Championship, with a 28-14 victory over Youngstown State University on Saturday in Frisco, Texas. Other finalists were Rod Broadway (North Carolina A&T); Jerry Mack (North Carolina Central); John Grass (Jacksonville State); John Stiegelmeier (South Dakota State); and Kyle Schweigert (North Dakota).

 

“It’s truly an honor to receive this award,” Houston said. “I feel very blessed to be in this profession, I’m surrounded by a great staff, wonderful wife, and fantastic players, and pleased to receive an award like this.”