Kutztown’s Clements a finalist for NCAA Coach of the Year

Kutztown University’s Jim Clements has been named American Football Coaches Association Division II Region 1 Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

Clements led the Golden Bears to the best season in program history. KU matched a program record with 11 wins, earned its second Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crown and won a NCAA second-round game, advancing further than any team in its 105-year history.

Clements, who recently finished his seventh season in charge of the Golden Bears, was also voted the PSAC East Coach of the Year for the third time.

He has become one of the most successful coaches in program history, holding a 59-22 overall record, two wins shy of tying George Baldwin for the program’s winningest coach. Clements has achieved winning seasons in each of his seven seasons, the first KU head coach to open his career with consecutive winning seasons.

He has taken the program to new heights the last decade, bringing KU back to the NCAA Tournament in both 2018 and 2019 for the third and fourth times in school history.

Clements is being recognized as an AFCA regional Coach of the Year for the third time. He was previously honored in 2010 after leading Delaware Valley to a 9-3 record, Middle Atlantic Conference championship and the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship tournament.

This marks the third AFCA regional Coach of the Year for Kutztown as a program. Raymond Monica received the honor in 2010 and 2011.

The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association’s five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA.

The winners are selected by active members of the association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions. Clements and the other regional winners are finalists for National Coach of the Year.