SUNY Cortland 12th-year head football coach Dan MacNeill has been chosen as of one five finalists for the 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award in Division III. The five Division III finalists were announced on Dec. 9 by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Archie Manning, chair of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, along with 10 coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision, five from the Football Championship Subdivision and five from Division II.

Coach MacNeill's bio page and video on Liberty Mutual Web page

Joining MacNeill as Division III finalists are Greg Debeljak of Case Western Reserve, John Gagliardi of St. John's University (Minn.), Larry Kehres of Mount Union College and Mark Speckman of Willamette University.

MacNeill guided the Red Dragons to an 11-2 record this season, tying the school single-season victory record. Cortland finished the regular season 9-1 and won the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title with a 9-0 mark. Cortland also won two NCAA Division III tournament games and finished tied for fifth in the nation, matching the school's best finish from the 1988 season. The Walton, N.Y., native was named the NJAC Coach of the Year and has a career record of 80-46 (.635), including a 35-10 mark over the past four seasons.

To qualify as a finalist, a coach had to be among the top 25 fan vote-getters in his division at www.CoachoftheYear.com and then be scored by an objective model that considers, among other criteria: wins, team penalties, on-field comportment, academic achievement by the student-athletes, and civic and philanthropic commitments.



Between Dec. 12-22, college football fans are once again invited back to www.CoachoftheYear.com to cast their vote for the winner. On the site, fans have the opportunity to review bios and fan testimonials supporting each finalist before they make their selection and enjoy episodes of "Coach's Corner," which offer Archie Manning's and Kirk Herbstreit's perspectives on the latest topics in college football.

To ensure candidates are evaluated fairly and measured against the specific values of responsibility and integrity, a Selection Committee composed of College Football Hall of Fame players and coaches and the national media will also cast votes for the winners. Fan votes account for 20 percent of each coach's final score while the College Football Hall of Famers and national college football media account for 55 percent and 25 percent, respectively. The 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners will be announced on ESPN during halftime of the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31.

Each Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalist will have an opportunity to receive recognition in the permanent College Football Hall of Fame display in South Bend, Ind., $50,000 to support personal civic and charitable activities, and a $20,000 scholarship donation for his alumni association. After this season, the total Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year charitable and scholarship contributions will reach $680,000. The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award was introduced in 2006.

The Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) finalists are, in alphabetical order: Mack Brown, University of Texas; Brady Hoke, Ball State University; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern University; Urban Meyer, University of Florida; Joe Paterno, Pennsylvania State University; Chris Petersen, Boise State University; Nick Saban, University of Alabama; Bob Stoops, University of Oklahoma; Jim Tressel, Ohio State University; and Kyle Whittingham, University of Utah.

The Football Championship Subdivision (Division I- AA) finalists are, in alphabetical order: Mike Ayers, Wofford College; Henry Frazier III, Prairie View A&M University; Mickey Matthews, James Madison University, Jerry Moore, Appalachian State University; and Danny Rocco, Liberty University.??The Division II finalists are, in alphabetical order: Chuck Broyles, Pittsburg State University; David Dean, Valdosta State University; Danny Hale, Bloomsburg University; Chuck Martin, Grand Valley State University; and Bill O'Boyle, Chadron State College.

"These finalists represent what is great about college football," said Greg Gordon, Liberty Mutual senior vice president of Consumer Marketing. "Today we recognize 25 coaches who understand that how you win is every bit as important as winning itself, and who are revered by their fans for exhibiting characteristics of sportsmanship, integrity and responsibility."