Press Releases
Liberty Mutual Kicks Off New Era of College Football Awards: Celebrating Responsibility On and Off the Field
September 08, 2006
BOSTON – Liberty Mutual – the sixth largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. – announces today the launch of the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award to honor the college football coach who best exemplifies responsibility and excellence on and off the field of play. The award and its criteria will be unveiled at a press conference today at 2:30 p.m. ET at the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame (South Bend, Ind.).
In conjunction with this award, Liberty Mutual has enlisted the support of famed ABC sportscaster, Keith Jackson, known to many as “the voice of college football.” “In my fifty-plus years of college football announcing, I have come to understand the difference that great coaching can make to the lives of both student-athletes and the general public,” said Jackson. “What differentiates the great from the good is this notion of responsibility and excellence - not only at game time but after the ref blows the final whistle.”
Fans across the country are encouraged to visit www.coachoftheyear.com between September 8 and November 5 to vote for the college football coach who they believe embodies responsibility – not only to his own team and players, but also in society and in his community. All football head coaches at an NCAA-member college or university at all division levels are eligible for consideration.
Fans that go online to vote are entered into a sweepstakes drawing to win a trip for four to the 93rd Rose Bowl Game® in Pasadena, Calif., on January 1, 2007. Fans may vote daily, although will only be permitted one sweepstakes entry per email address.
Selected based on their professional competence and achievement, commitment to the well-being and development of student-athletes, high ethical standards, and civic and charitable stewardship, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year will receive $100,000 to support his civic and charitable activities. In addition, Liberty Mutual will grant $20,000 in scholarship to the alumni association of the winning coach’s school.
The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year will be determined by a two-phase process that includes the fan votes, as well as judging by a selection committee comprised of College Football Hall of Fame players and coaches, national college football media, and Liberty Mutual representatives. Following the initial fan voting from September 8 to November 5, a second phase (November 8-20) features online fan voting for 10 finalists, each of who also will be judged individually by the selection committee.
The 10 finalists will be profiled on a one-hour ABC special on December 9, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT), and the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award will be presented to the winner on ABC on December 16, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT).
“Every day in communities across the country, sports coaches impart valuable life lessons about leadership, cooperation, and integrity,” said Steve Sullivan, Liberty Mutual Group senior vice president, Corporate Communications. “Liberty Mutual has chosen to honor responsible coaching because it is one of the clearest examples of a positive influence on young people, their families, and entire communities with the smallest actions.”
During September, ABC will air three one-hour Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year specials (2:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT), hosted by Keith Jackson with commentary and interviews from notable College Football Hall of Fame inductees and national college football media as they feature six prominent NCAA Division I coaches:
September 9 – Mack Brown (Texas) and Jim Tressel (Ohio State)
September 16 – Pete Carroll (USC) and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma)
September 23 – Charlie Weis (Notre Dame) and Mark Richt (Georgia)
“Through numerous programs and initiatives, The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame (NFF) strives to promote the positive values of amateur football and is pleased that Liberty Mutual has chosen to recognize outstanding coaches, not only for victories but for their commitment to the development of the student-athlete,” said NFF Chairman Ron Johnson. “We look forward to displaying the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year at the College Football Hall of Fame alongside the game’s most prestigious individual and team awards.”
About Liberty Mutual Group
“Helping people live safer, more secure lives” since 1912, Liberty Mutual Group (www.libertymutualgroup.com) is a leading multi-line insurer in the U.S. whose largest line of business is personal auto based on 2005 direct written premium. A top ten provider of auto and home insurance to individuals, Liberty Mutual is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering its personal lines products to employees and members of more than 9,000 companies, credit unions, and alumni and professional associations. Liberty Mutual Group ranks 102nd on the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations in the United States. The company, headquartered in Boston, Mass., employs over 39,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.
About the National Football Foundation & the College Football Hall of Fame
With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org or www.collegefootball.org.
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Meg Bennett |
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Glenn Greenberg |