Walter Camp Leadership Presents FBS Coach of the Year to Indiana’s Curt Cignetti
Walter Camp Foundation president John Barbarotta traveled to Bloomington, Indiana to formally present 2024 Walter Camp FBS Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti with his plaque.
Many thanks to Indiana University president Pam Whitten, athletic director Scott Dolson and associate athletic director Jeff Keag for their gracious hospitality.
Coach Cignetti is the second IU coach to receive the honor (John Pont, 1967).
Indiana finished with a 11-2 record and qualified for the first-ever College Football Playoff in 2024.
Congratulations to Coach Cignetti and his wife, Manette.
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- BLOOMINGTON, IN – January 14, 2025 – fb during the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Presentation at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. Photo By RNG#2
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- BLOOMINGTON, IN – January 14, 2025 – Athletic Director Scott Dolson during the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Presentation at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. Photo By Rachel Gillam/Indiana Athletics
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- BLOOMINGTON, IN – January 14, 2025 – Indiana Hoosiers Head Coach Curt Cignetti and Manette Cignetti during the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Presentation at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. Photo By Rachel Gillam/Indiana Athletics
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- BLOOMINGTON, IN – January 14, 2025 – President Pam Whitten, Indiana Hoosiers Head Coach Curt Cignetti and Athletic Director Scott Dolson during the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Presentation at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. Photo By Rachel Gillam/Indiana Athletics
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- BLOOMINGTON, IN – January 14, 2025 – Indiana Hoosiers Head Coach Curt Cignetti and Jeff Keag during the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Presentation at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. Photo By Rachel Gillam/Indiana Athletics
Photos courtesy of IU’s Athletics Strategic Communications Dept (Rachel Gillam).
Keiser University’s Myles Russ Named Walter Camp 2024 NAIA Coach of the Year
Keiser University first-year head coach Myles Russ is the first-ever recipient of the Walter Camp NAIA Coach of the Year award.
Russ led the Seahawks to a 12-1 overall record, advancing to the NAIA Football Championship Series for the sixth straight season while making the team’s third straight appearance in the NAIA National Championship Game. Top-ranked Keiser ended its season with a 35-7 loss to the No. 2-ranked Grand View Vikings in the NAIA National Championship. The loss snapped the Seahawks nation’s longest winning streak which ended at 23 games.
Russ was named the 2024 Sun Conference Coach of the Year, after the team claimed its third straight Sun Conference title, going a perfect 6-0 in league action.
Russ was named head coach on January 29, 2024, after serving six years as an assistant. Prior to coming to Keiser, Russ spent five seasons at his alma mater Robert Morris as the running backs coach. He was then selected for the Bill Walsh Minority Internship for the NFL, working with the Buffalo Bills.
Russ accumulated 4,271 career rushing yards, which still stands as a Robert Morris career record. Russ received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management at Robert Morris in 2011 and went on to complete his Master of Science in Instructional Leadership in 2014.
Russ and his wife, Alexandrea, have two daughters, Averie and Audrie.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
Ferris State’s Tony Annese Named Walter Camp 2024 Division II Coach of the Year
Ferris State head coach Tony Annese is the first-ever recipient of the Walter Camp Division II Coach of the Year award.
Annese led the Bulldogs to their third national titles in the last four years. This season, the Bulldogs totaled a 14-1 overall record, culminating with a 49-14 victory over Valdosta State in the national title game on December 21.
To reach the finals, Ferris State defeated Harding, 41-7, in the quarterfinals and Slippery Rock, 48-38, in the semifinals.
The Bulldogs also claimed the GLIAC regular-season championship along with the Super Region Three Championship and won trophy rivalry games against West Michigan foes Grand Valley State and Davenport to capture both the Anchor-Bone Trophy and the Calder City Classic Trophy, respectively.
Under Annese’s guidance, FSU has posted a 137-21 overall mark (.867) in his 12-year tenure. Annese has led FSU to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 10 consecutive years, which ranks as the longest streak in the country.
Overall, Annese is 362-66 (.846) in his coaching career that includes several stops on the high school level in Michigan where he won three prep state championships along with a pair of national junior college crowns at Grand Rapids Community College prior to his FSU arrival.
The Corunna, Mich. native played collegiately at Alma and also earned a masters degree in educational administration from Central Michigan. Annese and his wife, Christine, have four children, including Steven, Nick, Allie and Anthony.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
Springfield’s Mike Cerasuolo Named Walter Camp 2024 Division III Coach of the Year
Springfield College head coach Mike Cerasuolo is the first-ever recipient of the Walter Camp Division III Coach of the Year award.
Under Cerasuolo’s guidance, the Pride set a program record for victories (12) and became just the second team from New England to ever reach the national quarterfinals, matching the feat that Springfield also did in 2000.
Springfield concluded the year with 5,557 rushing yards, the most in the history of Division III and a new program record, while the Pride’s 583 points scored and 808 rushing attempts were the most ever in the 134-year history of the program.
As a team, Springfield’s rushing offense averaged 427.5 yards per game, which ranked first across all NCAA Divisions this fall. The Pride also ranked second in third down conversions (0.591), fifth in first downs (312) and ninth in time of possession (33:48).
Cerasuolo, also named the Region I Coach of the Year by D3football.com, led Springfield to its fourth consecutive New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship title this fall. After winning the NEWMAC title, 55-20, at Maritime, Springfield earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The Pride hosted a second-round game on Stagg Field against UMass-Dartmouth defeating the Corsairs, 54-27, before dethroning the defending national champions and second-ranked Cortland on the road, 40-28, in the third round.
Cerasuolo was named the 14th head football coach in the program’s history in January of 2016. In nine seasons, Cerasuolo has recorded a 66-23 career record (.742).
A standout student-athlete for Springfield College from 1989-1993, Cerasuolo was a two-time Division II All-New England selection as a center. After earning his bachelor’s degree in physical education, Cerasuolo went on to receive his master’s degree in sport pedagogy from Ithaca in 1995. Cerasuolo and his wife, Tracy, reside in Hampden, Mass. with their two daughters.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
Morningside’s Zack Chevalier Named Walter Camp 2024 NAIA Player of the Year, presented by Crabtree Lexus of New Haven
Morningside redshirt sophomore quarterback Zack Chevalier (Santa Clarita, CA) is the first-ever recipient of the Walter Camp NAIA Player of the Year award, presented by Crabtree Lexus of New Haven.
Chevalier led the Mustangs to a final 12-2 record in 2024. He completed 351-of-527 passes for 4,682 yards and 45 touchdowns. One of his best games came on October 19 when he completed 21-for-25 passes for 328 yards and six touchdowns in a 63-6 victory over crosstown rival Briar Cliff.
Chevalier, who has already been named an All-American by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association and NAIA, led the nation in passing yards, passing yards per game, and passing touchdowns.
Morningside reached the 2024 NAIA semifinals after defeating Montana Western, 31-24, in the quarterfinals on December 7. In that game, Chevalier passed for 347 yards and four touchdowns. The Mustangs fell to second-ranked Grand View the in the semifinals on Dec. 14. Chevalier passed for 266 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
Chevalier played scholastically at Golden Valley High School.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
About Crabtree Lexus of New Haven
Crabtree Lexus of New Haven is located at 655 Main Street in East Haven, CT, convenient from anywhere in the Northeast directly off of I-95. Visit them at https://www.CrabtreeLexus.com
About Lexus
Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With eight models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers nine F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.
Central Missouri’s Zach Zebrowski Named Walter Camp 2024 Division II Player of the Year, presented by Crabtree Lexus of New Haven
Central Missouri redshirt senior quarterback Zach Zebrowski (Woodbury, Minn.) is the first-ever recipient of the Walter Camp Division II Player of the Year award, presented by Crabtree Lexus of New Haven
A two-time recipient of Harlon Hill Trophy (nation’s top Division II player), Zebrowski completed 372-of-553 pass attempts for 4,724 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2024. He added 599 rushing yards on 132 carries and 10 rushing touchdowns in 12 games, helping the Mules post an overall record of 9-3, including winning the Heritage Bowl, 39-37 in double overtime, over Texas Permian Basin Din.
Zebrowski, who was named to the first-ever Walter Camp Division II All-America team earlier today, led Division II in passing yards per game (393.7), passing yards (4,724), passing touchdowns (40), points responsible for (302) and total offense (443.6), and ranked second in completions per game (31).
His total offense of 443.6 yards per game, passing yards of 4,724 and passing yards per game of 393.7 were the most out of any division (FBS, FCS, II, III) in college football.
Zebrowski was named both the D2CCA Super Region III and MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and earned First Team D2CCA All-Super Region III and First Team All-MIAA accolades. Zebrowski ended his two-year career as a Mule ranked second in career pass completions (789), touchdown passes (101), passing yards (9,881) and total offense (11,013 — 1,132 rush, 9,881 pass).
Zebrowski played scholastically at East Ridge High School. He is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management at UCM.
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
About Crabtree Lexus of New Haven
Crabtree Lexus of New Haven is located at 655 Main Street in East Haven, CT, convenient from anywhere in the Northeast directly off of I-95. Visit them at https://www.CrabtreeLexus.com
About Lexus
Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With eight models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers nine F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.
