Per GoBearcats:
The American Football Coaches Association is proud to announce its 2022 Assistant Coach of the Year winners. One assistant coach from the five divisions of college football has been selected for their dedication to their teams and communities. A total of 42 nominees from Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, and NAIA were nominated in 2022.
Each year, staff representatives from NCAA and NAIA football-playing schools are asked to nominate an assistant for consideration. From those nominations, the winners are selected by the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year Committee.
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 2022 honorees are as follows:
FBS–Mike Tressel, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, University of Cincinnati
FCS–Chris Kappas, Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach, Austin Peay State University
Division II–Nate Shreffler, Offensive Coordinator, Hillsdale College
Division III–Joe Gerbino, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach, Utica University
NAIA–George Papageorgiou, Offensive Line Coach, Benedictine College
“Once again, five outstanding assistant coaches have been selected for their dedication, not only to their teams, but to their communities,” said AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry. “Oftentimes, 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 criterion for the award is not limited to on-field coaching ability or the success of the team and the players whom 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 considered in the selection process.
Winners of the Assistant Coach of the Year Award will receive a plaque to commemorate their recognition. They will be honored at the AFCA Honors Luncheon, held Monday, January 9, during the 2023 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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.”
The Winners
Football Bowl Subdivision
Mike Tressel, Cincinnati: Tressel is in his 25th year of college coaching with the last two coming at Cincinnati … long-time member of the AFCA who has served on several committees and spoke at the AFCA annual convention … Tressel participated in a community clean-up of Cincinnati in 2021 and encourages his players to give back to the community through mentorship and local elementary schools and reading programs … While as an assistant coach at Michigan State, Tressel participated in several juvenile diabetes fundraisers … His defense helped the Bearcats to their best season in school history in 2021, leading the nation in pass efficiency defense, fifth in scoring defense and No. 10 in total defense on a team that went 13-1 and finished in the Top 5 in the nation … In 2022, the Bearcats are 13th in pass efficiency defense and No. 24 in total defense.
Football Championship Subdivision
Chris Kappas, Austin Peay: Kappas is in his third season at Austin Peay and 15th season as a collegiate coach … Dedicated AFCA member who has spoken at the annual convention … Kappas in instrumental in helping the Austin Peay football team break the Team GPA record for four straight semesters … Helps leads the defense in several community service projects around Clarksville, including building shelves for Habitat for Humanity or preparing and passing out food at Loaves and Fishes, a local shelter that feeds the needy … In his three seasons at Austin Peay, Kappas turned the defense into one of the best in the Ohio Valley Conference, going No. 1 in total and scoring defense in 2021, then repeated those honors in the ASUN Conference in 2022.
Division II
Nate Shreffler, Hillsdale: Shreffler completed his 22nd season at Hillsdale … Established and coordinates a volunteer program with Hillsdale players and a local elementary school where student-athletes help teachers and help students in reading and math since 2010 … Established a new program in 2019 with fourth grade boys at a local elementary school called “Guys with Ties” where around 30 boys and 10 student-athletes meet with Shreffler at lunch and talk about things such as integrity, leadership, kindness, gratitude, manners and being a good sport … Also organizes and runs the annual Lift-A-Thon, which has raised over $450,000 since Shreffler took over … Volunteers for the Hillsdale College Youth Football Camp where proceeds of the event are donated to the Jason Foundation to help bring awareness to youth suicide … Also volunteers for Victory Day at Hillsdale, which is an event for special needs children that gives them a full game day experience of playing football, cheering, or marching in the band … Has coached 21 first or second team all-conference linemen, three All-Americans and one NFL draft pick.
Division III
Joe Gerbino, Utica: Gerbino has been the Utica offensive coordinator since 2017 … Been an AFCA member since 2015 … Has spoken at several football clinics and works several football camps each summer … Organizes the “accountability program” at Utica, which is a competition to encourage community service, campus involvement and academic success … Also volunteers for America’s Greatest Heart Run-Walk, North Utica Rotary, Upstate Cerebral Palsy, Believe 271, The House of Good Shepherd, Thea Bowman House, campus clean-ups, elementary school reading programs, Real Men Wear Pink for the American Cancer Society and The Bridge Program … Leader of an offense that helped guide Utica to their first 10-win season in program history and the program’s first-ever NCAA playoff victory … Utica offense was No. 2 in the Empire 8 in total offense at 386.8 yards per game.
NAIA
George Papageorgiou, Benedictine (Kan.): Papageorgiou has been on the Benedictine (Kan.) staff since 2000 … Long-time AFCA member … volunteers for numerous activities on campus and in the Atchison, Kansas community … Helped mentor five of the Ravens’ all-time leading rushers … Named Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018 … His offensive line has aided in some of the top offensive production squads in program history.
AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year Finalists for 2022
Football Bowl Subdivision
Sean Saturnio, Army West Point
Mike Tressel, Cincinnati
Derrick Jackson, Northern Illinois
Football Championship Subdivision
Chris Kappas, Austin Peay
Milton Patterson, Florida A&M
Ryan Clanton, Northern Iowa
Mark Hendrickson, Western Illinois
Division II
Lucas Melo, Davenport
Dominic Anderson, Fayetteville State
Nate Shreffler, Hillsdale
Kevin May, Seton Hill
Division III
Brandon Beech, Catholic
Kole Heckendorf, St. John’s (Minn.)
Joe Gerbino, Utica
Assistant Coach of the Year Notes
127 assistant coaches from 97 different schools have been honored by the AFCA since the inception of the award in 1997 … Benedictine (Kan.) joins Morningside, Bethel (Minn.), Campbellsville, Carson-Newman and Hampton as schools with three winners each … Air Force, Carroll (Mont.), Central (Iowa), Clemson, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Kansas Wesleyan, Lindsey Wilson, Mount Union, Northwest Missouri State, Tabor, Virginia Union, Wabash, Washington (Mo.) and Winona State all have two winners each.
