WACO, Texas – The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced on Wednesday that Mike Aldrich, assistant head coach/defense line/linebackers coach at Southwest Minnesota State University, has been named the 2016 AFCA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year.
 
The Assistant Coach of the Year award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA professional organization involvement.
 
The criteria for the award is not limited to on-field coaching ability or the success of the team and players that these assistant coaches work with. Service to the community through charitable work and other volunteer activities, participation in AFCA activities and events, participation in other professional organizations and impact on student-athletes are all taken into account in the selection process.
 
"It is quite an honor to receive the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year award," Aldrich said. "This award is so special, as it isn't determined solely by wins and losses, but more for the impact made on the student-athletes, the community and to the profession. It is humbling to be nominated and selected for this award by my fellow coaches, and I feel it is truly the highest honor an assistant coach can receive."
 
Aldrich has spent 22 years coaching college football, including the last two at SMSU. He is very active with the AFCA, serving as the Division II Assistant Coaches Committee Chairman the past four years, and was a member of the Division II All-America Team Selection Committee for three years while he was the head coach at Augustana (S.D.).
 
Aldrich has also been active off the field during his 20-plus year coaching career. He currently oversees SMSU's involvement in a work-a-thon, which is a community clean-up day for the city of Marshall. He has worked with a number of organizations in the past, including Habitat for Humanity, Workers on Wheels, Minnesota Adopt-A-Highway and Make-a-Wish. Aldrich established the Tackle Pink initiative for breast cancer awareness, working with Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation.
 
He has helped organize team volunteer activities at a local food bank, Missouri River flood clean-up, tornado clean-up and other non-profit local events during his 20-plus coaching career. Aldrich organized and led a trip of 16 players to Norway for a cultural trip to work with Norwegian football players at the grass roots level.
 
During his first season at SMSU in 2015, Aldrich helped lead the Mustangs to an 8-3 record—the program's best record as a Division II school. This past season SMSU finished 5-6 with the Mustang defense recording 23 turnovers, including two or more in six games.
 
"Coach Aldrich has been a tremendous asset to our football program," said Cory Sauter, SMSU head coach. "He brings a ton of experience, a passion to lead young men, and is extremely competitive. I am very proud of Coach Aldrich and his commitment to excellence here at Southwest Minnesota State University." 
 
Each year, staff representatives from NCAA and NAIA football-playing schools are asked to nominate an assistant for consideration. From those nominations, a winner is selected by the AFCA Public Relations Committee.
 
"Once again, five outstanding assistant coaches have been selected for their dedication, not only to their teams, but to their communities," said AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry. "Often times, the head coach receives much of the credit for his team's success, but any head coach is only as good as his assistants. Much of an assistant coach's work is done behind the scenes. It is our pleasure to bring it to the forefront."
 
Winners of the Assistant Coach of the Year Award will receive a plaque to commemorate the award. They will be honored at the AFCA Honors Luncheon on Jan. 9 at the 2017 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
 
The 2016 honorees are as follows:
Football Bowl Subdivision–Dan Brooks, Associate Head Coach/Defensive Tackles, Clemson University
Football Championship Subdivision–Eric Dooley, Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach, Grambling State University
Division II–Mike Aldrich, Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line/Linebackers, Southwest Minnesota State University
Division III–Scott Kirchoff, Quarterbacks Coach, Bethel (Minn.) University
NAIA–Lou Varley, Quarterbacks/Fullbacks Coach, Peru State College