Colorado School of Mines Head Coach Pete Sterbick Named AFCA Region Five Coach of the Year
WACO, Texas – Colorado School of Mines head football coach Pete Sterbick is the American Football Coaches Association Region Five Coach of the Year, the organization announced Wednesday. Sterbick claims the award after leading the No. 1 Orediggers to the NCAA Division II Football Championship semifinals, marking the program’s third consecutive trip to the semifinal round.
In his first season at the helm for the Orediggers, Sterbick has orchestrated a program that maintained its explosive offense while locking down opponents on defense. Under his guidance, Mines enters the penultimate weekend of postseason play ranked first nationally for scoring offense with 50.5 points per game. The Orediggers also stand third in NCAA Division II for scoring defense, limiting foes to a meager 11.5 points per contest.
Colorado School of Mines is one of four teams still contending for a national title after claiming a fifth consecutive RMAC championship with a perfect 9-0 record in conference play. Entering the weekend with a 13-0 overall record, the Orediggers have toppled four nationally ranked programs so far this season. Mines has limited opponents to 14 points or less on nine occasions in 2023, including each of its two postseason games.
Success has trickled down under Sterbick’s leadership throughout the 2023 campaign as Levi Johnson was recently named the 2023 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year and is the first Mines player to earn the prestigious award. John Matocha is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award and aims to become the fifth player in the award’s history to repeat as a winner.
The Orediggers are back in action this weekend and will host Kutztown in the NCAA DII Football semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 1:30 p.m. MT, on ESPN+.