HELENA, Mont. – Carroll College head football coach Mike Van Diest has been named the American Football Coaches Association 2014 NAIA Region 5 Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
It is the sixth time that Van Diest has received the award. He was also honored in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010and 2013.
The East Helena native has a 186-30 (.861) record in 16 seasons. He has the best winning percentage of any active coach with more than 10 years of experience.
Carroll has won five national championships during Van Diest’s tenure.
The Saints ended the season with a 10-2 record and an outright Frontier Conference title. Fifteen Carroll players received first or second team Frontier All-Conference honors. Senior linebacker Sean Blomquist was named the Frontier Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
The Saints received the No. 1 ranking in the final regular season NAIA Poll but fell to Southern Oregon in the NAIA Quarterfinals.
Van Diest’s six awards are the most among the coaches that were honored this season.