WMU football coach P.J. Fleck named regional coach of the year

Contact: Robert Beuerlein
Photo of WMU head coach P.J. Fleck.

Coach Fleck

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University head coach P.J. Fleck has been named the FBS Region 3 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association, and is now a finalist for AFCA National Coach of the Year.

Fleck has guided the WMU football team to its first New Year's Six bowl—the Goodyear Cotton Bowl—following a perfect 13-0 regular season that included its first Mid-American Conference Championship since 1988. The Broncos defeated Ohio last week in the MAC Championship game.

Last week, Fleck was named MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three seasons. Under Fleck's guidance, the Broncos finished 8-0 in conference play and became the first team in MAC history to win each of its league games by 14 or more points.

Making history

This year, the Broncos have achieved 65 "nevers" in program history, including beating two Big Ten teams and being nationally ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, USA Today Amway Coaches Poll and College Football Playoff ranking. Earlier this season, ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from the campus of WMU for the first time in history, making the Broncos the second MAC team ever to be featured as a host.

Fans have responded to the unprecedented success by setting a home attendance record of more than 143,000 at Waldo Stadium this season. Last week  at Ford Field, Bronco fans set a MAC Championship attendance record of more than 45,000.

Fleck also was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, presented by the Football Writers Association of America.

For more information on Fleck and WMU football, visit wmubroncos.com.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.

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