Mangone Named National Coach of the Year
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the selections for Coach of the Year on Tuesday evening, and Brockport head coach
Jason Mangone was named Division III National Football Coach of the Year.
Mangone led the Golden Eagles to national prominence in 2017, guiding them to their best season in program history, which ended in the NCAA Semifinals. The team surpassed its previous wins record after the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and did not stop there, winning two more games after that point. The appearance in the Final Four is also the furthest a Brockport football team has ever advanced in the NCAA Championship Playoffs.
On the road to the semifinals, Brockport re-wrote the record books, breaking nearly every previous record on the offensive side of the ball, while boasting a top-ten defense all season. Coach Mangone preached toughness up front, which paid off for Brockport in 2017, as the team out-rushed their opponents by nearly 150 yards-per-game.
This award caps off a laundry list of awards for the Golden Eagle coaching staff, which was named Empire 8 Staff of the Year in November. Mangone was also named D3Football.com East Region Coach of the Year, and had 20 players earn conference, regional, and national awards after the historic season.
Mangone beat out Mike Sirianni (Washington and Jefferson), Tony Kunczewski (Berry), Troy Abbs (Trine), and Rick Willis (Wartburg) for the Division III Coach of the Year nod. He was also joined by Scott Frost (DI FBS – Central Florida), Brian Bohannon (D1 FCS – Kennesaw State), Pete Shinnick (DII – West Florida), and Kevin Donley (NAIA – Saint Francis).
Brockport football finished 2017 ranked No. 5 in both major national polls, and will return a wealth of talented contributors next season. Coach Mangone has elevated them into the national spotlight, and now the team will look to build on that success in their continuous pursuit of perfection.