WACO – Tarleton head football coach Sam McElroy has been named the American Football Coaches Association Region Four Coach of the Year.

The head coach guided the Texans to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs and a 10-3 overall record.  Tarleton earned a share of the Lone Star Conference and LSC South Division titles as well.

“Sam is very deserving of this award,” said Tarleton athletics director Lonn Reisman.  “This brings a high visibility to not only our football program, but to our athletics department and Tarleton State University. “

McElroy was both surprised and humbled by the announcement.

“This is a good honor for our team, staff and school,” McElroy said.  “This certainly a nice award, but it is a reflection of the way our players played this year, and our staff.  We are fortunate to have a great coaching staff at Tarleton.  This award is for everyone that is a part of the Texan football program. It is certainly nice for the program and the University.”

The Texans opened the season 5-0 that included a school-record 66-3 in over Southwestern Oklahoma where Tarleton set a new mark for margin of victory.  Tarleton then opened LSC South Division play at then-No. 7 Texas A&M-Kingsville in Kingsville.  The score was tied in the fourth quarter, but two Tarleton turnovers led to a 34-20 win by the Javelinas.

Tarleton rebounded with a big win over then-No. 18 Midwestern State when the Texans hit a field goal with 12 seconds on the clock.  After a fumble on the kickoff, the Texans used two plays to try to move the football closer to the end zone.  However, on third down with four seconds on the clock, McElroy sent kicker Garrett Lindholm onto the field, and the Texan senior nailed a school record (at the time) 55-yard field goal to win the game as time expired.

The Texans continued its winning streak with a 30-20 win at Eastern New Mexico before facing then-No. 9 Abilene Christian for Homecoming.  In a defensive battle, the Texans struck twice – once on a punt returned for a touchdown and the other on a long pass from quarterback Scott Grantham to Jahmeel Hobson with 4:32 left in the contest.  The 75-yard pass gave the Texans a 13-6 after the kick.

The purple and white then traveled to Angelo State and defeated the Rams 21-14 before hosting West Texas A&M in the final regular game of the season.  Tarleton fell 49-35.

The Texans were invited to the playoffs for the first time since 2003 after finishing the season 9-2 and sharing the two conference titles.  The Texans have been on the bubble for the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but despite finishing 9-2 and 8-3, the Texans have been left out.

However, this time the Texans took advantage of the playoffs.  In a rematch from earlier in the season, Tarleton again traveled to then-No. 13 TAMUK.  The Texans jumped out to an early 14-0 lead before the Javelinas scored 28 unanswered points to take a 28-14 advantage.  The Texans scored again with 1:54 left in the first half prior to a TAMUK field goal that put Tarleton behind 31-21 at the break.

Tarleton scored 22 of the next 30 points to make it 39-36 TAMUK with 1:29 remaining in the third quarter before Tarleotn's Roderick Smith ran the ball in from 11 yards out to give the Texans a 43-39 lead with 8:22 left in the fourth.  The Javelinas scored with 49 seconds left on the clock to take a three-point advantage, but the Texans worked the ball down the field to the TAMUK 48-yard line.  McElroy again went to his kicker with four seconds on the clock, and Lindholm bested his own school record – this time from 64 yards away to send the game into overtime.

Both teams made field goals in the first overtime period before the Javelinas scored a touchdown in the second session.  Tarleton faced a fourth and five from the 20-yard line when Grantham tucked the ball to pick up the first down with his own legs, but he got much more.  After breaking four tackles and doing a round-house kick over the back of the fifth defender, Grantham reached the endzone.  As Tarleton trailed by one pending the kick, McElroy sent the offense back on the field, and Grantham took the ball into the end zone for the keeper and the win, 57-56.

For the second time in school history, the Texans reached the second round of the Division II playoffs, and turnovers hurt Tarleton as they lost to then-No. 1 Central Washington on the road, 27-6.

McElroy and his staff helped 20 Texans to be honored by the LSC with postseason honors while three were named to the Daktronics All-Super Region Four team.

The AFCA began recognizing district coaches of the year following the 1960 season. The awards were established the same year Eastman Kodak agreed to sponsor the AFCA Coach of the Year award. Prior to 1960, the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain had sponsored the program, which recognized one national Coach of the Year.

The AFCA first recognized eight district winners in each of two divisions: university and college. In 1972, a ninth district was added in each division.

In 1983, the award was changed to recognize regional winners instead of district winners, and the number of divisions was increased from two to four, and five regional winners were selected in each division. This resulted in a more equitable selection process and better represented the make-up of the membership. At the same time, the new system increased the number of honorees from 18 to 20.

In 2006, the AFCA Division II Award was split into separate Division II and NAIA divisions, giving the association the 25 winners now recognized.

The AFCA will announce its five 2009 National Coach of the Year winners at the 2010 AFCA Convention in Orlando, Fla. At the Coach of the Year Dinner scheduled for January 12, 2010. All head coaches who were eligible for regional honors are eligible for national honors as well.