Voting Open for 2013 Liberty Mutual award
10/15/2013 8:20:00 AM | Football
Fan voting for the 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year is in full swing.
Sam Houston State head coach Willie Fritz won the Liberty Mutual FCS Coach of the Year award in 2012 and was a finalist in 2011. To vote for the head coach, Bearkat fans can visit www.CoachoftheYear.com and www.Facebook.com/LMCoachoftheYear to cast their votes.
Liberty Mutual Insurance gives fans a daily opportunity to voting for the 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, the only college football award that supports both charity and scholarship through its winners by celebrating one coach at each college level who best exemplifies responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship and excellence both on and off the field.
Each of the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year winners from four college football divisions – FBS, FCS, Division II, and Division III – receives $50,000 from Liberty Mutual Insurance to donate to the charity or charities of their choice. In addition, winning coaches earn $20,000 for their school's alumni association to support scholarship. Since 2006, Liberty Mutual Insurance has awarded $1.8 million to more than 100 charities and colleges across the country through its Coach of the Year Award winners.
Voting will last until Dec. 3. Following the close of fan voting on Dec. 3, the top 15 coaches with the most fan votes in each of the four college football divisions advance to an evaluation process to determine the finalists. This process utilizes an objective scoring model endorsed by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame to measure coaching excellence, sportsmanship, integrity, academic success and community commitment.
From that model, 10 FBS finalists and five each in FCS, Division II and Division III will be announced Dec. 10 at a press conference held in conjunction with the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Class of 2013 induction in New York City.
A finalist round of voting will then reopen for fans, while at the same time ballots will be cast by members of the College Football Hall of Fame and a select group of the national college football media to determine this year's winners. The 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners will be announced in Newport Beach, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, in advance of the national championship game.
Joining Coach Fritz last year as 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners were Brian Kelly, Notre Dame (FBS); Peter Rossomando, University of New Haven (Division II); and Glenn Caruso, University of St. Thomas (Division III).
With his selection as Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year in 2012, the Bearkat head coach earned $70,000 for charities and scholarships in recognition for his commitment to excellence both on and off the field.
Fritz selected the Lone Survivor Foundation, founded by Retired Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell in 2010 to restore, empower, and renew hope for America's wounded service members and their families through health, wellness and therapeutic support; as well as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as his award beneficiaries.
