25 College Football Coaches Recognized For On- And Off-Field Achievements With Finalist Nod For 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach Of The Year Award

BOSTON, Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Successful college football coaches understand their role as a leader and mentor extends well beyond the field on Saturdays. After all, they are ultimately responsible for helping enrich the lives of student-athletes by exhibiting a commitment to both on-field success and off-field priorities. Today, Liberty Mutual Insurance is celebrating those coaches by announcing the 25 finalists for the 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, which honors coaches who best exemplify responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship and excellence both on and off the field. Liberty Mutual and National Football Foundation Chairman Archie Manning announced the finalists at the NFF 2013 College Hall of Fame Class induction in New York City.

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Now in its eighth year, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award is the only college football-coaching award that promotes both charity and scholarship through its winners. A winner in each of the four NCAA divisions will receive $50,000 to support his favorite charities and a $20,000 donation from Liberty Mutual to his school's alumni association for scholarship. Since 2006, Liberty Mutual has distributed more than $1.8 million to over 100 charities and colleges across the country through its Coach of the Year Award program.

"Throughout my many years in the football community, I've seen plenty of coaches make a significant impact on the athletes they lead and the communities they touch," said Archie Manning, Chairman of the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame. "The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award celebrates those coaches who truly make a difference in both these respects. These 25 finalists exemplify strong leadership skills and character that inspires the very best out of everyone they come in contact with; it's fitting that fans around the country have recognized them."

Fans can now vote daily for a finalist in each division through December 22 at CoachoftheYear.com and Facebook.com/LMCoachoftheYear:

2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Finalists (listed alphabetically)

Football Bowl Subdivision:

Art Briles, Baylor
David Cutcliffe, Duke
Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Todd Graham, Arizona State
Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Urban Meyer, Ohio State
Jim Mora, UCLA
Bill O'Brien, Penn State
Nick Saban, Alabama
Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Football Championship Subdivision:

Craig Bohl, North Dakota State
Mick Delaney, Montana
Joe Moglia, Coastal Carolina
Joe Moorhead, Fordham
Ron Roberts, Southeastern Louisiana

Division II:

Bill Conley, Ohio Dominican
Josh Lynn, Eastern New Mexico
Scott Maxfield, Henderson State (Ark.)
Robert Talley, Stonehill (Mass.)
Curt Wiese, Minnesota Duluth

Division III:

Jim Catanzaro, Lake Forest (Ill.)
Pete Fredenburg, Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas)
Lance Leipold, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Mike Rader, Maryville (Tenn.)
Mike Swider, Wheaton (Ill.)

The 25 finalists across the four NCAA college football divisions were determined by an objective scoring model endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame, incorporating such criteria as wins, team penalties, sportsmanship, academic performance by the student-athletes, and charitable commitments in their community and beyond.  To qualify for the scoring model, each coach needed to finish among the top 15 in fan voting in his division from September 24 until December 3.

The 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners will be announced in Newport Beach, Calif., on Monday, January 6, 2014, in advance of the national championship game.  To help determine the winners, fans can vote from now until December 22 at CoachoftheYear.com and Facebook.com/LMCoachoftheYear for the finalists they feel represent the highest values in college sports, whether it is achieving the players' potential on the field, promoting academic excellence in the classroom, or making an impact in their communities through charitable work and volunteerism.  Fan votes in this period will account for 20 percent of each coach's final score, with votes from two committees of college football media (25 percent) and College Football Hall of Fame players and coaches (55 percent) also being considered.

Fans have added incentive this year to cast their selections:  each vote serves as an entry into the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Fan Experience Sweepstakes.  One lucky winner will be awarded airfare and tickets for two to the 2014 regular season college football game of their choice.  A random drawing will be held on December 23 to determine the winner.  For full sweepstakes rules, visit CoachoftheYear.com.

"Liberty Mutual Insurance is proud to recognize standout coaches who provide the leadership and mentorship their student-athletes will take with them long after their final college game," said James MacPhee, senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer at Liberty Mutual Insurance.  "Each of our Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalists has dedicated their time and efforts not only to producing a winning football team, but to instilling the importance of academics and charity.  We look forward to honoring the very best of this year's group on January 6."

This year's winners will join an elite group of college coaches who have inspired success among their players on and off the field.  Most recently, the 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners were Brian Kelly, Notre Dame (FBS); Willie Fritz, Sam Houston State (FCS); Peter Rossomando, University of New Haven (Division II); and three-time winner, Glenn Caruso, University of St. Thomas (Division III).

About Liberty Mutual Insurance

"Helping people live safer, more secure lives" since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance is a diversified global insurer and the third largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2012 direct premiums written as reported by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.  Liberty Mutual Insurance also ranks 81^st on the Fortune 100 list of largest U.S. corporations, based on 2012 revenue.  The company employs over 50,000 people in approximately 900 offices throughout the world.

The sixth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty Mutual (libertymutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability, and individual life insurance.  The company is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees and members of more than 14,000 companies, credit unions, professional associations and alumni groups.

Liberty Mutual Insurance is the Official Property and Casualty and Life Insurance Partner of the 2014 and 2016 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams.  Liberty Seguros (Brazil) is a National Supporter and Official Insurer of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup, both of which are in Brazil.

About the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame, the NFF Scholar-Athlete Award presented by Fidelity Investments, Play It Smart, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association, and scholarships of more than $1.3 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Bowl, the William V. Campbell Trophy endowed by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59882-liberty-mutual-insurance-announces-2013-coach-of-the-year-award-finalists

SOURCE Liberty Mutual Insurance