Many AFCA award winners already looking to fall ’18

Phrases such as “it’s a huge honor” and “I’m incredibly blessed” were in heavy rotation last week at the American Football Coaches Association Award Show.

More than 7,000 coaches, former coaches and players gathered in Charlotte at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the show, which was the culmination of the annual coaches convention.

The other trend, at least for the 10 coaches who were honored, was focusing on what’s next in the 2018 season.

“I’m looking forward to a new challenge,” said now-Nebraska head coach Scott Frost, who won the FBS Coach of the Year award for leading Central Florida to an undefeated season.

“Nebraska’s home to me. I love it. I know how much we can accomplish there, and what I’m most proud about isn’t the wins and losses, it’s the relationships we built in Orlando and the difference that we made and I can’t wait to do the same in Nebraska.”

Frost was announced as Nebraska coach on Dec. 2 but continued to coach at UCF through its Peach Bowl win against Auburn on New Year’s Day. The Cornhuskers coach said a lot of people at the convention praised him and his staff for how they handled the transition and that those compliments meant just as much as his coach of the year award.

“I’m rooting for the UCF guys and hope they keep doing things great going forward, and I can’t wait to start building new relationships with people in Lincoln,” Frost said.

Like Frost, a few of his award-winning colleagues have been faced with the same challenge of rebuilding a program, even starting a new one.

Pete Shinnick, head coach at the University of West Florida, was named the Division II Coach of the Year after taking the Argonauts to this season’s national championship game in the program’s second year. “We want to continue to get better,” Shinnick said. “We didn’t win it all, so there’s a goal out there to try and achieve.”

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, who won USA TODAY’s Amway Coach’s Call of the Year, talked about how his Cyclones can build on their momentum from 2017 but also took the time to praise AFCA executive director Todd Berry.

“Coach Berry’s done such a great job of bringing unity to AFCA,” Campbell said. “It’s been really well done and seems like the most well-attended convention I’ve been to.”

The 2019 convention will be Jan. 6-9 in San Antonio.