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By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP Faculty Soccer Author
Coastal Carolina’s Jamey Chadwell is The Related Press school soccer coach of the yr after main the Chanticleers to a shocking, near-perfect season.
Chadwell acquired 16 first-place votes and 88 factors from the AP Prime 25 panel to complete forward of Indiana’s Tom Allen, who was second with 14 first-place votes and 66 factors. Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell was third (5, 44) and Alabama’s Nick Saban was fourth (8, 42).
Chadwell is the primary Solar Belt Convention coach to win the AP award, which was established in 1988, and the third coach to earn it with a crew from outdoors the Energy 5 leagues. UCF’s Scott Frost was AP coach of the yr in 2017 and Gary Patterson gained the primary of his two AP awards with TCU in 2009 when the Horned Frogs had been competing within the Mountain West.
San Jose State’s Brent Brennan completed fifth, which means Group of 5 groups had three of the highest 5 coaches on this yr’s voting.
The 43-year-old Chadwell directed a breakout season for No. 9 Coastal Carolina (11-1) in his third yr main this system.
The Chanticleers had been picked final within the Solar Belt’s East Division after ending 5-7 (2-6) final yr.
“I knew we weren’t as dangerous as individuals had been going to choose us to be,” Chadwell mentioned. “I assumed we had been going to be fairly good. I knew we had been going to be higher.”
As a substitute, behind freshman quarterback Grayson McCall working a artistic possibility offense, Coastal Carolina had its finest season since transitioning to the Bowl Subdivision in 2017.
The Chanticleers made the Solar Belt championship recreation, although they didn’t get to play in it due to COVID-19 points inside the program. However they completed with an ideal common season that included victories over Solar Belt West winner Louisiana-Lafayette and three-time convention champion Appalachian State.
McCall was injured throughout the victory in opposition to Louisiana-Lafayette and did not play the next week. When the Chanticleers nonetheless beat Georgia Southern the following week with out McCall, Chadwell knew he had one thing particular.
“No one panicked,” Chadwell mentioned. “We began getting every kind of nationwide consideration after that Louisiana recreation and I began worrying that is going to go to our head, and it did not. And after that recreation once we discovered a option to win it, I assumed we will be powerful to beat from right here on out.”
Coastal Carolina additionally beat BYU in certainly one of finest video games of this unusual season. After a virus outbreak pressured Liberty to drag out of a nonconference recreation scheduled for Dec. 5 in Conway, South Carolina, the Cougars and Chants agreed to play on quick discover.
Coastal gained a 22-17 thriller, stopping BYU on the ultimate play a yard in need of the aim line and a profitable landing.
Earlier this week, senior defensive finish Tarron Jackson was named an AP All-American and senior defensive deal with C.J. Brewer was chosen to the third crew.
“This has been the most effective senior management class I’ve ever been round,” Chadwell mentioned.
The Chants’ excellent season got here to an finish final week after they misplaced in time beyond regulation to Liberty within the Remedy Bowl.
Chadwell got here to Coastal Carolina in 2017 as offensive coordinator for former coach Joe Moglia after 4 profitable season at FCS Charleston Southern. As a substitute of being offensive coordinator, Chadwell served as interim head coach at Coastal in his first season when Moglia wanted to take a seat out for well being causes.
“That was the worst skilled yr of my life. It was so difficult,” Chadwell mentioned. “It was principally being a substitute trainer when all people knew the trainer was coming again.”
Moglia returned for one season in 2018 after which retired, handing it off to Chadwell, who shortly introduced this system to new heights.
“I by no means doubted that it will work. I felt strongly about what we had been doing,” Chadwell mentioned. “I believe this yr was possibly the primary time it was really my crew.”
And it turned out to be the most effective crew in class historical past.
“Everyone needs 2020 to finish. I stored telling my spouse I hope it will get to Dec. 31 and we simply maintain working it over as a result of it has been unbelievable,” Chadwell mentioned.
Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina – 88 factors (16 first-place votes).
Tom Allen, Indiana – 66 (14).
Luke Fickell, Cincinnati – 44 (5).
Nick Saban, Alabama – 42 (8).
Brent Brennan, San Jose State – 25 (3).
Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M – 7 (2).
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame – 7 (1).
Matt Campbell, Iowa State – 7.
Billy Napier, Louisiana-Lafayette – 2
Ryan Day, Ohio State – 1.
Dave Doeren, North Carolina State – 1.
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern – 1.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson – 1.
Observe Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and hear at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/
Extra AP school soccer: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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