Lennon named AFCA Region 4 Coach of the Year
12/09/2008 | 12:00:00 | Football
Dec. 9, 2008
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Dale Lennon was named American Football Coaches Association Region 4 Coach of the Year Tuesday. Lennon, also the 2008 Missouri Valley Football Conference Coach of the Year, went 9-3 in his first season at the Saluki helm.
A native of Knox, N.D., Lennon guided Southern Illinois University to a share of the Valley Football title and its sixth-consecutive NCAA postseason berth.
Lennon joined Villanova's Andy Talley (Region 1), Appalachian State's Jerry Moore (Region 2), Prairie View A&M's Henry Frazier (Region 3) and Central Arkansas' Clint Conque (Region 5) as this year's Football Championship Subdivision honorees.
The 2008 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCA's Coach of the Year Dinner, scheduled for January 13 in Nashville, Tenn.
2008 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Winners
Football Bowl Subdivision
Region 1: Brian Kelly, University of Cincinnati
Region 2: Houston Nutt, University of Mississippi
Region 3: Brady Hoke, Ball State University
Region 4: Mike Leach, Texas Tech University
Region 5: Mike Riley, Oregon State University
Football Championship Subdivision
Region 1: Andy Talley, Villanova University
Region 2: Jerry Moore, Appalachian State University
Region 3: Henry Frazier, Prairie View A&M University
Region 4: Dale Lennon, Southern Illinois University
Region 5: Clint Conque, University of Central Arkansas
Division II
Region 1: Danny Hale, Bloomsburg University & John Luckhardt, California University (Pa.) (tie)
Region 2: Frankie DeBusk, Tusculum College
Region 3: Mel Tjeerdsma, Northwest Missouri State University
Region 4: Chris Thomsen, Abilene Christian University
Region 5: Dan McLaughlin, Wayne State College (Neb.)
Division III
Region 1: Mike Welch, Ithaca College
Region 2: Greg Debeljak, Case Western Reserve University
Region 3: Jimmie Keeling, Hardin-Simmons University
Region 4: Larry Kehres, Mount Union College & Matt Land, Trine University (tie)
Region 5: Mark Speckman, Willamette University
NAIA
Region 1: John Bland, University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) & Phil Jones, Shorter College (tie)
Region 2: Kevin Donley, University of St. Francis (Ind.)
Region 3: Jed Stugart, MidAmerica Nazarene University
Region 4: Hank Biesiot, Dickinson State University
Region 5: Mike Van Diest, Carroll College (Mont.)
