December 9, 2004
AFCA NAMES REES REGIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR; KUHN ALL-AMERICA
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - After leading Shippensburg University to its best
season since 1991, head football coach Rocky Rees was named as the American Football
Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Region 1 Coach of the Year while senior
fullback John Kuhn (York, Pa./Dover) was named to the 2004 AFCA
Division II Coaches¹ All-America Team.
Rees earned his second
AFCA Regional Coach of the Year award after being named Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division Coach of the Year for the third
time in 2004 after leading Shippensburg to its best season since 1991. His first regional Coach of the Year honor came back in
1986 at Susquehanna University after he guided the Crusaders to an 11-1 record,
the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship and a berth in the NCAA
Division III Football Championship. Rees is 93-73-1 in 15 seasons at
Shippensburg and his career record now stands at 129-88-1 in 20 collegiate
seasons.
The Red Raiders finished with a 10-2 record this season, won a share of the
PSAC Western Division championship for the first time since 1988 and advanced
to the second round of the 2004 NCAA Division II Football Championship. The
team won 10 games for the first time since 1991 and posted 10 wins during the
regular-season for the first time since 1981.
A three-time
All-PSAC selection, Kuhn was chosen First-Team All-PSAC Western Division this
year after totaling 1,487 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. A Northeast
Region finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the top player in NCAA
Division II each year, he finished his career with 21 school records, including
career marks in yards rushing (4,685), carries (910), touchdowns (53),
all-purpose yards (5,300) and games with at least 100 yards rushing (26).
Kuhn was
also chosen First-Team Daktronics All-Northeast Region this year, First-Team
Academic All-District II for the third-straight year and First-Team Academic
All-America for the second consecutive year. He also holds three career PSAC records, ranking fourth in
career rushing yards, third in career carries and fourth in career rushing
touchdowns.
Rees
represents the first AFCA Regional Coach of the Year selection for Shippensburg
while Kuhn becomes the second, and first since defensive lineman Chad
Oberholzer in 2001, to be named to the AFCA Coaches¹ All-America Team.
The AFCA
recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association¹s
four divisions: I-A, I-AA, Division II (NCAA Division II and NAIA) and Division
III. The winners are selected by
active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective
regions and divisions. The 2004
Regional Coach of the Year will be recognized at the AFCA Coach of the Year
Dinner at the 2005 AFCA Convention in Louisville, Ky. The dinner is scheduled for January 11.
The AFCA
Division II Coaches¹ All-America Team is made up of players from NCAA Division
II and NAIA institutions. The AFCA
has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all
four of its divisions. The team is
chosen by the AFCA¹s Division II All-America Selection Committee that is made
up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA¹s nine districts.
- Red Raider Football -