SRU's Lutz Region 1 COY
SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock University football team isn't through being honored yet.
Seven SRU players received first team berths on the Don Hansen Football Gazette NCAA Division II All-Super Region 1 squad announced Monday. Quarterback Roland Rivers III was named Super Region 1 Offensive Player of the Year.
And head coach Shawn Lutz, in his fourth season at the helm, was named Super Region 1 Coach of the Year.
“Shawn's got a great shot at being the national coach of the year,” said Rich Herman, chairman of the Hansen Gazette's Super Region 1 committee. “We have a committee well-represented by all four leagues and he won (region) coach of the year by unanimous vote, as did Rivers at quarterback.”
Super Region 1 consists of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Northeast 10, GMAC and MEC. The four region coaches of the year are eligible for the national award, which will be announced in mid-January.
SRU went 13-1 this season in winning the region and reaching the Division II national semifinals. Lutz is 39-11 as head coach at The Rock and has been on the coaching staff for 11 of the program's PSAC West titles.
He was 15-7 in his first two years as head coach before going unbeaten in PSAC West play the past two years, winning the PSAC championship this year and going 24-4 over the past two seasons.
“I learned a lesson in my first year as head coach,” Lutz said. “I tried to be just like Coach (George Mihalik) and I can't do that. I'm not him. I had to be myself.
“Coach did such a great job building this program into a national power. We had to at least maintain that and try to build on it, add to it. I felt like I owed that to him.”
SRU sports information director Jon Holtz said he noticed Lutz “show growth as a head coach over the past three or four years.
“I've seen him get more confident with time and gain control of the team. He's a coach the guys like to play for,” Holtz added.
While Lutz spent 19 years as an assistant on Mihalik's staff, he has hired much of the current staff. Offensive line coach Chris Conrad, (now defensive coordinator) Dom Razzano and linebackers/special teams coordinator Marc Hull were on staff when Lutz was hired four years ago.
He added first-year offensive coordinator Adam Neugebauer, receivers coach Jared Buck, defensive line coach Bryan Murray and defensive backs coach Allen Gant since.
“The job Adam did with our offense has been incredible,” Lutz said. “Jared was a quarterback on a championship team here. Allen was at Michigan, Bryan coached at Cincinnati ... All of these guys came together and brought a culture to our program.
“We've melded together and have maintained the family atmosphere that Coach Mihalik had all of those years.
“This award isn't about me. It's for our program, the coaches and the players. You win with good players. Those guys deserve the credit,” Lutz added.
Mihalik said he was hopeful Lutz would succeed him as head coach.
“Shawn put in the time and effort and I knew he would,” Mihalik said. “He's been with Slippery Rock for a long time. This is great recognition for him and the program.”
SRU's nine first team selections were the most of any team. Rivers, receivers Henry Litwin and Jermaine Wynn Jr., guard Ryan Podgorski and tackle Chris Larsen made first team offense while end Chad Kuhn and linebacker Brad Zaffram made it on defense.
“Everyone on our staff loves this game,” Lutz said. “I'm a competitive person. We raised the bar this season and I want more.
“Our goal remains the national championship. We were one game short of getting there. It's still our ultimate goal. I mean, why not us? Why not now?”
Holtz pointed out that Lutz has advanced deep into the playoffs the past two years “without the resources a lot of other Division II programs have.
“The back-to-back seasons we've had, the way he's put this staff and team together ... Shawn deserves this,” Holtz said.
