Elon athletics is asking fans to support head football coach Pete Lembo in the 2009 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award competition. The online voting Web site is open through Dec. 2. Read this note for details...
Lembo is in his fourth season as the head coach at Elon where he has compiled a 25-15 record, including a 5-1 overall mark this season. His Phoenix currently rank eighth in The Sports Network FCS Top-25 poll. Fans can vote by clicking on the button on the Elon Athletics home page or at www.coachoftheyear.com
Click on the Division IAA button to cast your vote for Pete Lembo.
Fans can vote once per day with a valid e-mail address. The top 15 vote-getters will advance to the evaluation phase. Voting is open through December 2, 2009.
Launched in 2006, Liberty Mutual created the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award to celebrate responsible coaching because it is one of the clearest examples of a positive influence on young people, their families and entire communities. Past winners include 2006 – Greg Schiano (Rutgers); 2007 – Ron Zook (Illinois), Jerry Kill (Southern Illinois), Bill O’Boyle (Chadron State), John Gagliardi (Saint John’s); 2008 – Nick Saban (Alabama), Mickey Matthews (James Madison), Chuck Broyles (Pittsburg State), Larry Kehres (Mount Union).
Liberty Mutual Insurance has donated $680,000 in three years to support dozens of national and local charities and college scholarship funds on behalf of nine winning coaches. Each winning coach, determined by a combination of online fan voting and an elite selection committee of college football media and College Football Hall of Fame players and coaches, receives $50,000 to donate to the charities of their choice and a $20,000 grant to donate to his school’s alumni association to enhance student scholarships and activities.
Through numerous programs and initiatives, The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Football Hall of Fame strive to promote the positive values of amateur football. The voting process incorporates the votes of Hall of Famers as well as media members and fans voting online.