Hazell named MAC Coach of the Year
Senior running back Dri Archer defends the ball from a Western Michigan player during the first half of Kent’s Homecoming game. The Flashes triumphed 41-24. Photo by Hannah Potes.
Update
The Mid-American Conference
announced its regular season
awards Wednesday, and the Kent
State football team boasted two
major award winners.
Head coach Darrell Hazell was
named MAC Coach of the Year,
and running back Dri Archer was
named MAC Special Teams player
of the year.
Hazell, who is in his second
year with the team, has a 16-8
record with the Flashes and led
the team to its first 11-win season
in program history.
Archer returned three kickoffs
for touchdowns and leads the
Football Bowl Subdivision with
an average of 38.2 yards per kick
return. Opponents have mostly
avoided kicking to Archer since
the fifth game of the season.
The junior running back scored
21 touchdowns in the regular season,
and was also named to First-
Team All-MAC Offense. He was
joined by senior offensive lineman
Brian Winters.
Junior defensive lineman Roosevelt
Nix was named to the First-
Team All-MAC Defense – the second
time he has been selected in
his career.
Nine Flashes were honored
with First-team, Second-Team or
Third-Team All-MAC selections. It
is the most selections the Flashes
have earned since 1987.
The Kent State football team
will compete in the MAC Championship
game at 7 p.m. Friday in
Detroit against the Northern Illinois
Huskies.
Contact Grant Engle at [email protected].
Original post:
Kent State football coach Darrell Hazel has been named the 2012 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year — Dri Archer has been named Special Teams Player of the Year.
Archer was also awarded two spots on the All-Mac First Team, as a running back and kick return specialist.
Brian Winters and Roosevelt Nix were named to the All-Mac first team. Josh Kline, Luke Batton and Luke Wollet were named to the All-MAC second team while C.J. Malauulu, Jake Dooley and Trayion Durham were selected for the third team.
The team’s turnaround season and 11-1 record, including a perfect 8-0 record in the MAC East Division, pulled Kent to a No. 17 rank in the overall BCS standings and a guaranteed bowl bid. The team has won 15 of its last 17 games under Hazell.
Check back on KentWired.com for more updates.