KUTZTOWN, Pa. --  It was another special fall for Kutztown University football, which won its second Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the first time in program history. Friday, Jim Clements was recognized as the 2021-22 KU Dr. Dennis Roth Men's Coach of the Year, marking his second straight award and third overall.

Clements has guided the Golden Bears to unprecedented heights during his eight years (seven seasons) at Kutztown. The Golden Bears increased their win total each season from seven in 2016 to 11 in 2019. Following the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, KU picked up right where it left off this past fall, tying a program record with 11 wins and achieving its second consecutive unbeaten run through the PSAC East.

There was even more to celebrate this time around, however. A coveted PSAC championship became reality when the Maroon and Gold defeated No. 10 Slippery Rock, 38-32, in a rematch of the 2019 championship game at Andre Reed Stadium. Kutztown took that momentum into the NCAA Division II Championship tournament where it earned the top seed in Super Region 1. Clements' team knocked off No. 18 New Haven in a defensive battle, 10-7, in the second round before dropping a heartbreaker, 30-28, to No. 8 Shepherd in the national quarterfinals. 
 
Clements was voted the PSAC East Coach of the Year for the third time in his career and took home American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 1 Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row. He's already one of the most successful coaches in program history with a 59-22 overall record and 41-9 conference record. Clements will enter the 2022 season two victories shy of tying George Baldwin as the winningest coach in KU history. His .728 overall winning percentage and .820 conference winning percentage (41-9) are both tops at KU all-time.

Kutztown has produced winning records in each of Clements' seven seasons at the helm. The Golden Bears went unbeaten in PSAC East play under Clements in 2016, 2019 and 2021, while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
 
The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA. The winners are selected by active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions. Clements and the other regional winners in each division are finalists for National Coach of the Year.

Prior to winning the KU Dr. Dennis Roth Men's Coach of the Year Award in 2019-20 and 2021-22 (no award in 2020-21 due to COVID-19 pandemic), Clements was honored for the first time at the conclusion 2016-17 academic year.

Kutztown University's annual athletic awards are selected through a vote of the department's administration, head coaches and support staff.

2021-22 Kutztown University Athletics Award Winners
Female Freshman of the Year: Brianna Stocklin, Softball
Male Freshman of the Year: Matthew Weinberg, Wrestling
Female Athlete of the Year: Rylee Derr, Basketball
Male Athlete of the Year: Andrew Dunn Jr., Wrestling
Women's Coach of the Year: Judy Lawes, Softball
Men's Coach of the Year: Jim Clements, Football
 

KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS DR. DENNIS ROTH MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

YEAR	WINNER	SPORT(S)
1987	Al Zellner *	Women's Soccer
1988	Rick Binder *	Men's Basketball
1989	Betty Wesner *	Field Hockey
1990	Judy Lawes *	Softball
1991	Tom York *	Women's Basketball
1992	Barry Fetterman *	Football
1993	Dan Hinkel	Wrestling
1994	Brian Mondschein	Track & Field
1995	Brian Mondschein	Track & Field
1996	Dan Hinkel	Wrestling
1997	Matt Royer	Baseball
1998	Brian Mondschein	Track & Field
1999	Matt Royer	Baseball
2000	Brian Mondschein	Track & Field
2001	Matt Royer	Baseball
2002	Matt Royer	Baseball
2003	Bernie Driscoll	Basketball
2004	Bernie Driscoll	Basketball
2005	Suresh Ramamurthi	Tennis
2006	Chris Blum	Baseball
2007	Chris Blum	Baseball
2008	Bernie Driscoll	Basketball
2009	Bernie Driscoll	Basketball
2010	Chris Blum	Baseball
2011	Raymond Monica	Football
2012	Raymond Monica	Football
2013	Suresh Ramamurthi	Tennis
2014	Robert Fisher	Wrestling
2015	Robert Fisher	Wrestling
2016	Bernie Driscoll	Basketball
2017	Jim Clements	Football
2018	Bernie Driscoll	Basketball
2019	Robert Fisher	Wrestling
2020	Jim Clements	Football
2021	No Award Winners (COVID-19)
2022	Jim Clements	Football
* From 1987-92, Kutztown presented a combined Coach of the Year Award