American Football Coaches Association

The American Football Coaches Association is an association of football coaches on all levels and is responsible for the Coaches Poll that determines the national champion each year. The American Football Coaches Association is also responsible for the Top 25 poll for Division II and Division III.

The AFCA was founded in a meeting for 43 coaches at the Hotel Astor in New York City on Dec. 27, 1921. It is headquartered in Waco, Texas (the headquarters building is located across from Baylor University, formerly coached by AFCA executive director Grant Teaff).

Maj. Charles Daly of the U.S. Military Academy was the first president. He was followed by John Heisman. Other presidents have included Bear Bryant, Darrell Royal, Eddie Robinson, Bo Schembechler and Vince Dooley.

In 2006 the Association has 10,000 members and represents coaches at all levels including the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the National Junior College Athletic Association, the National Federation of State High School Associations, the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, USA Football, the National Football Foundation, College Football Hall of Fame, and Pop Warner Football.

Since 1940 it has awarded the annual Amos Alonzo Stagg Award to the "individual, group or institution whose services have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football."

The Association has established a code of ethics and has made safety recommendations. It teams with USA Today for the Division I-A Coaches Poll.

All-American Teams

Since 1945, the American Football Coaches Association has selected an All-American team. It is the only one selected exclusively by the coaches themselves.

AFCA National Championship Trophy

The AFCA National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to the winner of college football's BCS National Championship Game, which determines the national champion for purposes of the Coaches Poll. The trophy has been awarded since 1986.

Tuss McLaughry Award

The Tuss McLaughry Award, established in 1964, is given to a distinguished American (or Americans) for the highest distinction in service to others. It is named in honor of DeOrmond “Tuss” McLaughry, the first full-time secretary-treasurer of the AFCA and one of the most dedicated and influential members in the history of the Association.

Tuss McLaughry, the award's namesake, began his coaching career at his alma mater, Westminster (Pa.) College in 1916. During his early days in coaching, McLaughry spent his spare time playing pro football with the Massillon (Ohio) Tigers. Knute Rockne was a teammate. He went on to become head coach at Amherst (1922-25), Brown (1926-40), and Dartmouth (1941-55). McLaughry retired from coaching in 1954, but continued in his capacity as chairman of the Physical Education Department at Dartmouth until 1960, when he accepted the appointment with the AFCA. He retired from that position in 1965.

Winners

See also

• AFCA Coach of the Year
• AFCA Presidents
• AFCA National Championship Trophy
• Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
• Walter Camp Man of the Year
• Walter Camp Distinguished American Award
• Walter Camp Alumni of the Year
• National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award
• National Football Foundation Gold Medal Winners
• Theodore Roosevelt Award (NCAA)

External links

• Official site