FB coach Pete Fredenburg named AFCA Region III Coach of the Year

12/04/07

Belton, TX-University of Mary Hardin-Baylor head football coach Pete Fredenburg has been named Division III Region III Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. Coach Fredenburg has led the Cru to a 12-1 overall record and UMHB went 8-0 in American Southwest Conference play to win the ASC title. The Cru has advanced to the NCAA Division III National Semifinals for the second time in the last four years and UMHB will face Wisconsin-Whitewater this Saturday with a berth in Stagg Bowl XXXV on the line. The 12 victories are also the second-highest single-season total in the history of the Cru football program.

"It is quite an honor for our players and our assistant coaches to be recognized by this award. I represent them and it is obviously a tremendous honor for me to be named Regional Coach of the Year," Coach Fredenburg said. "These awards go to individuals, but there are so many people who are included in the achievements. I would really like to thank my staff and my players for all of their hard work to make honors like this possible."

Coach Fredenburg is the only head coach the Cru has had in the ten-year history of the program. He has led UMHB to an 87-26 record and six NCAA Division III National Championships appearances in the past seven years. The Cru has won or shared five American Southwest Conference championships in that time. This is also the fourth AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honor for Coach Fredenburg. He was also named Region III Coach of the Year following the 2000, 2002 and 2005 seasons.

"What makes this award so special is that this is the only coach of the year award voted on exclusively by the coaches themselves," AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff said. "The winners are selected by the coaches they compete with and against on a daily basis."

The American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year honors are voted on by active members of the AFCA. The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's four divisions: I-A, I-AA, Division II (NCAA Division II and NAIA schools) and Division III. The winners are selected by active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.