51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Dick Biddle has been named the Division I-AA National Coach of the Year, according to the American Football Coaches Association.
The winners are selected by active AFCA members, and it is the only award chosen exclusively by the coaches themselves. It is considered the most prestigious of all such honors.
Biddle will be honored Tuesday at an awards dinner in Orlando, Fla.
The coach led the Raiders to a 15-1 record, the Patriot League title, and a berth in the championship game of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs this season. Biddle has an eight-year record of 69-27 (.719) at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. His winning percentage is the highest of any coach who has coached seven or more seasons in the Patriot League.
Biddle is the first 51³Ô¹ÏÍø coach to post eight straight winning seasons since Andy Kerr accomplished the feat between 1929-36. He is also the first 51³Ô¹ÏÍø coach to ever record seven straight seasons with seven or more victories.
With Biddle’s selection, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s full-time assistant coaches will each receive a $1,000 grant from the American Football Coaches Foundation that can be used to further their education or professional development.