(Peru, Neb.) - The American Football Coaches Association announced its 2015 Assistant Coach of the Year winners. One assistant coach from the five divisions of college football was selected for their dedication to their teams and communities.
 
Peru State assistant coach Lou Varley was among the three finalists for the NAIA assistant coach of the year. The NAIA honoree was Mike Gutelius, the defensive coordinator for Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) College. The other NAIA finalist was Matt McCarty of Northwestern (Iowa).

 
Each year, staff representatives from NCAA and NAIA football-playing schools are asked to nominate an assistant for consideration. From those nominations, a winner is selected by the AFCA Public Relations Committee. The winners of this award were selected from Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and the NAIA.
 
The Assistant Coach of the Year award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA professional organization involvement.  
 
The 2015 honorees are as follows:
Football Bowl Subdivision–Don Brown, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, Boston College
Football Championship Subdivision–Mark Ferrante, Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach, Villanova University
Division II–Ben Martin, Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, Colorado Mesa University
Division III–Jim Ryan, Defensive Coordinator, Washington (Mo.) University
NAIA–Mike Gutelius, Defensive Coordinator, Lindsey Wilson College
 
"Once again, five outstanding assistant coaches have been selected for their dedication, not only to their teams, but to their communities," said Executive Director Grant Teaff. "Often times, the head coach receives much of the credit for his team's success, but any head coach is only as good as his assistants. Much of an assistant coach's work is done behind the scenes. It is our pleasure to bring it to the forefront."
 
The criteria for the award is not limited to on-field coaching ability or the success of the team and players that these assistant coaches work with. Service to the community through charitable work and other volunteer activities, participation in AFCA activities and events, participation in other professional organizations and impact on student-athletes are all taken into account in the selection process.
 
Winners of the Assistant Coach of the Year Award will receive a plaque to commemorate the award. They will be honored at the President's Kickoff Luncheon, Monday, January 11, at the 2016 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
 
Some highlights from Coach Varley's, a resident of Nebraska City, nomination includes:
 
Service to the community through charitable work and other volunteer activities: 1) Responsible for the First Methodist Church Media Booth; 2) Participated several years in the Peru City-Wide Clean-Up Day; 3) Participated in the Brownville Historical Society Clean-Up; and 4) Has participated in the Relay for Life.
 
Participation in AFCA activities and events: 1) Member of the AFCA since 1988 and 2) Has attended several conventions, including various Heart and NAIA meetings.
 
Participation in other professional organizations: 1) Nebraska Coaches Association (NCA) – 40-year member and has served as a sport host for NCA Multi-Sport Clinics and has attend numerous NCA Coaching Clinics, 2) Served as the chair of Peru State's professional staff, and 3) Past member of several high school education associations.
 
On-field success as football coach: In 2013, serving as co-defensive coordinator, the Bobcat defense finished sixth in the NAIA in rush defense. At the end of the 2013 season, the Bobcats were the only Nebraska NAIA team to be ranked. This past season, Peru State finished receiving votes. Varley's high school teams reached the Nebraska state playoffs nine different times.
 

Comment from former high school player and former Bobcat Branden Bender – "I can't stress enough that Coach Varley is not only a man of character and integrity, but he is someone who sincerely cares about people. If I had to describe coach in one word, it would be "caring." From the moment I met Coach in 1988, he has been an influential person in my life. Not only has he helped me in football, but he has helped me to become a better person. He is a stoic example of how to be a mature adult, as well as how to be a good husband and father." NOTE: Bender became a two time Scholar-Athlete at Peru State and earned all-conference recognition and still resides in Nebraska City.
 
Comment from former Bobcat Mitch Boshart – "When it comes to Coach Varley, it is hard to put into words exactly how much he helps each athlete grow not only on the field, but also in life. All members of the football team know that Coach Varley possesses a great amount of knowledge of defense and offense, so it is not unusual to have many of the men on the team ask Coach Varley questions about various game strategies. But what Coach Varley does beyond the football field is what does and will continue to have a lasting impact on any football players that come to Peru State. NOTE: Boshart was from Wood River and also was a two-time Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete and was also the NAIA's A.O. Duer Award winner. Boshart is presently teaching and coaching at Cross County High School in Stromsburg.

 
Assistant Coach of the Year Notes
94 assistant coaches from 74 different schools have been honored by the AFCA since the inception of the award in 1997 ... Campbellsville (NAIA), Carson-Newman (Div. II) and Hampton (FCS) lead all schools with three winners each ... Campbellsville's three winners came in three straight years (1997-Samuel Wickliffe, 1998-Eric Graves, 1999-Haywood Riner) ...  Carson-Newman won its three awards in 2003 (Mike Turner), 2009 (David Needs) and 2013 (Denares Waites) ... Hampton won its three awards in 1997 (Alonzo Lee), 1998 (John Wright) and 2003 (Donovan Rose) ... Air Force, Benedictine (Kan.), Bethel (Minn.), Carroll (Mont.), Central (Iowa), Morningside, Mount Union, Northwest Missouri State, Wabash, Washington (Mo.) and Winona State have had two winners each ... A total of 82 assistant coaches from five divisions were nominated in 2015.
 
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world, ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the coaching profession" and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football and coaching."