Jim Clements named KU’s top men’s coach
Jim Clements has been named Kutztown University’s men’s Coach of the Year, following a season which saw the Golden Bears win their second Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the first time.
Clements will receive Dr. Dennis Roth award, given to the school’s top men’s coach, his second straight award and third overall.
Clements has taken the Golden Bears to new heights during his seven seasons. They have increased their win total each season from seven in 2016 to 11 in 2019. Following the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic KU tied a program record with 11 wins and recorded its second consecutive unbeaten run through the PSAC East.
The Golden Bears defeated No. 10 Slippery Rock 38-32 in a rematch of the 2019 championship game for the league championship. Kutztown took that momentum into the NCAA Division II Championship tournament where it earned the top seed in Super Region 1.
It knocked off No. 18 New Haven 10-7 in the second round before dropping a 30-28 heartbreaker to No. 8 Shepherd in the national quarterfinals.
Clements was voted the East Coach of the Year for the third time and took home American Football Coaches Association Region 1 Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row.
He is one of the most successful coaches in program history with a 59-22 record and 41-9 conference mark. Clements enters this season two victories shy of tying George Baldwin as the winningest coach in program history. His .728 overall winning percentage and .820 conference winning percentage are No. 1 all-time.
Kutztown has produced winning records in each of Clements’ seven seasons. The Golden Bears went unbeaten in PSAC East play under Clements in 2016, 2019 and 2021; they qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association’s five divisions.
Kutztown University’s annual athletic awards are selected through a vote of the department’s administration, head coaches and support staff.
| KU award winners | ||
| Female Freshman of the Year | Brianna Stocklin | Softball |
| Male Freshman of the Year | Matthew Weinberg | Wrestling |
| Female Athlete of the Year | Rylee Derr | Basketball |
| Male Athlete of the Year | Andrew Dunn Jr. | Wrestling |
| Women’s Coach of the Year | Judy Lawes | Softball |
| Men’s Coach of the Year | Jim Clements | Football |