LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis football Head Coach Chris Villarrial was honored by the Metropolitan New York Football Writers with the Bob Ford FCS Coach of the Year Award.  The award is presented each year to the top FCS coach in the northeast region, as voted on by the writers.
 
The award was presented at the 80th Annual Eastern College Football Awards Banquet at Met-Life Stadium.  This is the fourth year that the Bob Ford award was given, named after the legendary head coach at Albany.  Ford started the Great Danes program in 1970 and continued as the program's coach until 2013, putting together a 265-191-1 career record, including the 1985 ECAC-North Championship.
 
"I would like to thank the Metropolitan New York Football Writers for the Bob Ford Coach of the Year award," said Villarrial. "This is a reflection on our entire coaching staff and the dedication they show to building the football program at Saint Francis. Our staff has worked extremely hard to develop our program into one that will compete at the highest level of the NEC. This is also a reflection of the hard work of our players and the belief they've shown in the values of our program."
 
Villarrial, in his sixth season as head coach, led the Red Flash to a 7-4 record, for its first winning season since 1992, reaching seven wins for the fifth time in program history and a 4-2 mark in the NEC.  It was Saint Francis' first winning record in conference play since entering the league.  SFU went 5-0 at home.
 
Villarrial was named NEC Coach of the Year, the first in program history, and was one of 15 finalists for STATS FCS National Coach of the Year.
 
With 24 wins, Villarrial now ranks third in program history, just one victory behind Frank Pergolizzi (1989-94) for second all-time and trails Art Martynuska (1969-79, 81) by 21 wins for first in school history.
 
Villarrial and his staff helped nine Red Flash to be named All-NEC.  Junior kicker Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) was named All-America by the Athletics' Directors Association and American Football Coaches Association and selected as CFPA Placekicker of the Year, while junior safety/kick returner Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) was a Second Team All-America selection by STATS FCS.