American Football Coaches Association

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is a professional organization for American football coaches and football staff. Established in 1921, it represents coaches working across the sport’s principal competitive levels, including college football, professional football, high school football, junior college programs, and youth football. Its membership has been described as exceeding 10,000 and, in some references, more than 11,000 coaches and staff. The association’s stated purpose is to support high standards in football and in the coaching profession while providing a forum for discussion, study, and collective consideration of issues affecting football and coaching. The AFCA was created at a meeting of 43 coaches held at New York City’s Hotel Astor on December 27, 1921. Its first president was Major Charles Daly of the United States Military Academy. The organization subsequently became a national professional body connecting coaches from institutions and governing environments that include the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the National Junior College Athletic Association, the National Federation of State High School Associations, the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, USA Football, the National Football Foundation, the College Football Hall of Fame, and Pop Warner Football. The association’s work combines professional representation, recognition programs, research, safety advocacy, and opinion-setting within the sport. Safety has been a recurring focus. The AFCA established a code of ethics and has issued recommendations concerning safer play and coaching practice. Its annual injury survey, begun in the 1930s, has supplied longitudinal information about football injuries and has been associated with efforts to reduce injury rates. Recommendations from the association have also been considered by the NCAA Rules Committee, giving the organization a role in the development and discussion of playing rules. Recognition is another central part of the AFCA’s activities. Since 1945, it has selected an All-America team chosen exclusively by football coaches. The association also presents the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, established in 1940 for an individual, group, or institution whose service has advanced the best interests of football. The Tuss McLaughry Award, established in 1964, recognizes distinguished service to others and honors DeOrmond “Tuss” McLaughry, an early AFCA secretary-treasurer and longtime coach. The AFCA also administers the AFCA Coach of the Year recognition and is associated with the AFCA National Championship Trophy. In college football, the AFCA has played a visible role in national rankings. In partnership with USA Today, it is responsible for the Coaches Poll for the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. It also operates Top 25 rankings for Division II and Division III football. From 1992 through 2013, the AFCA National Championship Trophy was contractually tied to the national championship games of the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, and Bowl Championship Series. The association’s headquarters are in Waco, Texas, across from Baylor University. The location has a historical connection to Grant Teaff, a former Baylor coach who served as the organization’s executive director.

The American Football Coaches Association was founded on December 27, 1921, when 43 football coaches met at the Hotel Astor in New York City. The meeting created a national body intended to give football coaches a collective professional forum at a time when the sport was expanding across colleges, schools, and professional organizations. Major Charles Daly of the United States Military Academy became the association’s first president, and John Heisman was among the notable early leaders who followed. From its beginning, the AFCA’s remit extended beyond the interests of a single competition or governing body. Its constitutional objectives centered on maintaining high standards in football and in the coaching profession and encouraging discussion and study of football-related issues. Over time, the association developed a membership base covering coaches and staff from collegiate, professional, high school, junior college, youth, and related football institutions. Its network has included representatives connected with the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, NFHS, NFL, CFL, USA Football, the National Football Foundation, the College Football Hall of Fame, and Pop Warner Football. Safety and injury prevention became important parts of the organization’s historical contribution. The AFCA began an annual injury survey in the 1930s, creating a continuing source of information about injuries in football. The association also adopted a code of ethics and issued safety recommendations. These activities helped establish the AFCA as more than a membership and honors organization: it became a channel through which coaches could discuss changes in practice, equipment, rules, and the responsibilities of the profession. Recommendations associated with the AFCA have been considered by the NCAA Rules Committee. The organization’s recognition programs expanded its public role. Since 1945, it has selected an All-America team based solely on the judgments of coaches. In 1940, it began awarding the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award to an individual, group, or institution judged to have provided outstanding service to the best interests of football. The Tuss McLaughry Award followed in 1964, honoring distinguished service to others and commemorating DeOrmond “Tuss” McLaughry, who served as the AFCA’s first full-time secretary-treasurer. McLaughry had coached at Westminster, Amherst, Brown, and Dartmouth and remained active in football administration after his coaching career. The AFCA also became closely involved in college football’s national ranking and championship-recognition systems. It works with USA Today on the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Coaches Poll and maintains Top 25 polls for Division II and Division III. The AFCA National Championship Trophy was introduced in 1986. Between 1992 and 2013, its award was contractually connected to the championship games of the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, and Bowl Championship Series. This gave the association’s Coaches Poll and trophy a prominent place in the period before the College Football Playoff. The AFCA is headquartered in Waco, Texas, in a building located across from Baylor University. The site is historically associated with Grant Teaff, who coached at Baylor and later served as the organization’s executive director. In its present role, the association continues to combine professional membership, coaching recognition, safety advocacy, research, rankings, and communication across football’s many levels.

• 2013

  End of Bowl Championship Series trophy arrangement

  [1]American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The contractual period linking the AFCA trophy to the Bowl Championship Series national championship concluded.

• 1992

  Championship trophy tied to coalition championship system

  [1]American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The trophy entered a contractual relationship with the Bowl Coalition, later continuing through the Bowl Alliance and Bowl Championship Series.

• 1986

  National Championship Trophy introduced

  [1]American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The AFCA National Championship Trophy began being awarded to the recognized college football Coaches Poll champion.

• 1964

  Tuss McLaughry Award established

  [1]American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association created an award for distinguished service to others, named for former secretary-treasurer DeOrmond “Tuss” McLaughry.

• 1945

  AFCA All-America team begins

  [1]American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The AFCA began selecting an All-America team chosen exclusively by football coaches.

• 1940

  Amos Alonzo Stagg Award established

  [1]American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association introduced an award recognizing exceptional service to the best interests of football.

• 1930

  Annual injury survey begins

  [1]American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The AFCA began an annual football injury survey, creating a continuing body of information used in discussions of player safety.

• 1921

  Association founded

  [1]American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Forty-three coaches met at the Hotel Astor in New York City on December 27 and established the American Football Coaches Association.

The primary professional association for football coaches across American football’s amateur, scholastic, collegiate, professional, and youth levels, combining coaching advocacy with safety work, rankings, awards, and professional networking.

• College football ranking

  AFCA Coaches Poll

  A national ranking of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams produced by the AFCA in partnership with USA Today. The poll represents the collective judgments of participating coaches and has been used as a prominent measure of national standing in college football.

• College football ranking

  AFCA Division II and Division III Top 25 Polls

  Top 25 rankings for NCAA Division II and Division III football administered by the association. These polls extend the AFCA’s ranking role beyond the highest-profile subdivision and provide structured national recognition for teams in the lower NCAA divisions.

• Athlete recognition · 1945

  AFCA All-America Team

  An annual All-America selection made by football coaches. Begun in 1945, it is distinguished by being selected exclusively through the coaching community rather than by a general media or composite selection process.

• Championship recognition · 1986

  AFCA National Championship Trophy

  A trophy associated with the champion recognized by the college football Coaches Poll. It has been awarded since 1986 and was contractually linked to the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, and Bowl Championship Series championship games from 1992 through 2013.

• Service award · 1940

  Amos Alonzo Stagg Award

  An annual AFCA honor for an individual, group, or institution whose service has been outstanding in advancing the best interests of football. The award was established in 1940 and is named for the influential football coach and educator Amos Alonzo Stagg.

• Service award · 1964

  Tuss McLaughry Award

  An award for distinguished service to others, established in 1964. It honors DeOrmond “Tuss” McLaughry, who became the AFCA’s first full-time secretary-treasurer and was also a longtime college football coach.

• 1992

  Alignment of the championship trophy with the coalition championship systemStrategy

  Background

  College football developed successive systems intended to connect major bowl games with a recognized national championship game.

  Action taken

  The AFCA entered a contractual arrangement under which its National Championship Trophy was awarded to the winner of the Bowl Coalition championship game, later continuing under the Bowl Alliance and Bowl Championship Series.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement linked the AFCA’s championship recognition more closely to the leading postseason championship structure until the relationship ended after the 2013 season.

  Source

• 1986

  Introduction of the AFCA National Championship TrophyOther

  Background

  The association’s Coaches Poll had an established role in identifying a recognized college football national champion, creating a basis for a formal championship trophy.

  Action taken

  The AFCA began awarding its National Championship Trophy to the team recognized as the Coaches Poll champion.

  Aftermath

  The trophy became a durable part of the association’s college football recognition program and later entered a contractual relationship with the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, and Bowl Championship Series.

  Source

1. 1American Football Coaches Associationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2American Football Coaches Association official websiteafca.com