Prior to the start of the 2024 NCAA Division II playoffs, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference released its football season awards for the current campaign on Thursday (Nov. 21) afternoon – and Ashland University head coach
Doug Geiser was the Eagles' headliner.
Geiser is the 2024 Great Midwest football Coach of the Year, as he guided the No. RV Eagles to an 8-3 regular season, outright conference championship and a berth in the D-II postseason – which begins on Saturday (Nov. 23) at 1 p.m. at No. 6 Charleston (11-0).
This is Geiser's first Coach of the Year award in his second season at the AU helm. He is the fifth Eagle head coach to be named a conference Coach of the Year, and this is the 19
th such award presented to the program.
Five of Geiser's players earned first-team All-Great Midwest recognition:
- Senior defensive end Jeffrey Barnett returned after missing last season due to injury and has recorded a team-high 7½ sacks to go with 28 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
- Junior center Ethan Enders and junior left tackle Nick Walker have been the anchors of an offensive line which helped the Eagles to average 23.4 points and 322 yards per game, and 5.3 yards per play, during the regular season.
- Senior cornerback Devin Prude has an interception and five pass breakups to go with 28 total tackles (21 solo) and two stops for loss.
- Junior defensive end Michael Shimek has picked up a team-high 12½ tackles for loss, to go with 6½ sacks, two blocked kicks, a forced fumble, and 49 total tackles (27 solo).
Six more Eagles landed spots on the conference's second team:
- Senior whip Isaiah Clark has 40 total tackles (21 solo), four tackles for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery so far in 2024.
- Sophomore linebacker Ben Holzopfel is the team's leading tackler (62 total, 37 solo), and has added a tackle for loss, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.
- Senior wide receiver Tony Pannunzio has grabbed a team-high 42 passes for 642 yards and three touchdowns, has ran once for 32 yards, and has blocked a kick.
- Junior kicker A.J. Rhodes is 13-of-17 on field goals and 28-of-31 on extra points, and has put 20 of his 58 kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks.
- Sophomore tailback Ty'aris Stevenson is the Eagles' leading rusher with 866 yards and 11 touchdowns on 183 totes (4.7-yard average).
- Freshman right tackle Nico Traczyk has started every game as a rookie and joined Enders and Walker in leading the Eagles up front.
ALL-TIME ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE COACHES OF THE YEAR
2024 –
Doug Geiser (Great Midwest Athletic Conference)
2021 –
Lee Owens (Great Midwest Athletic Conference)
2017 –
Lee Owens (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
2015 –
Lee Owens (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, co-)
2012 –
Lee Owens (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
2005 –
Lee Owens (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
1997 –
Gary Keller (Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference)
1993 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference)
1986 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Heartland Collegiate Conference)
1985 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Heartland Collegiate Conference)
1984 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Heartland Collegiate Conference)
1982 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Heartland Collegiate Conference)
1980 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Heartland Collegiate Conference)
1965 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference)
1964 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference)
1963 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference)
1962 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference)
1960 –
Dr. Fred Martinelli (Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference)
1954 –
Robert Brownson (Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference)
