Riley Earns AFCA Coach of the Year Honors

Oregon State head football coach Mike Riley has been named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 5 Football Bowl Subdivision (Div. 1) Coach of the Year, it was announced Monday morning.

Riley has led the Beavers to a current No. 13 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) ranking after concluding the regular season with a 9-3 overall record and a 6-3 Pac-12 mark. The Beavers finished third in the Pac-12 Conference's North Division and had victories that include current top 25 teams Wisconsin and UCLA. The Beavers were selected Sunday to participate in the 20th annual Valero Alamo Bowl Dec. 29 against the No. 23 Texas Longhorns.

The 2012 Beavers feature AFCA First Team All-American and All-Pac-12 defensive back Jordan Poyer. Poyer was joined on the Pac-12 First Team by wide receiver Markus Wheaton, defensive end Scott Crichton and special teams standout Jordan Jenkins.

Riley, also the 2008 AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year, was one of five FBS coaches to be honored. He was joined by Bill Snyder of Kansas State, Brian Kelly of Notre Dame, Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M and Charlie Strong of Louisville.

The 2012 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tenn., next month