SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. — UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has been named a semifinalist for the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, Maxwell Football Club Executive Director Mark Wolpert announced on Tuesday.
Traylor joins Mike Elko (Duke), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Bret Bielema (Illinois), Chris Klieman (Kansas State), Jim Harbaugh (Michigan), Ryan Day (Ohio State), James Franklin (Penn State), Sonny Dykes (TCU), Josh Heupel (Tennessee), Jon Sumrall (Troy), Willie Fritz (Tulane), Jim Mora (UConn), Lincoln Riley (USC), Kyle Whittingham (Utah) and Kalen DeBoer (Washington) on the semifinalist list. Finalists will be announced on Dec. 29.
This honor comes one week after Traylor was tabbed a Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards Coach of the Year finalist and two weeks following his selection as one of eight finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award for the second consecutive year.
The two-time reigning Conference USA Coach of the Year led UTSA to an 11-3 record, its second straight C-USA title and a bowl game for the third year in a row in 2022. The Roadrunners are ranked in all three major polls, coming in at No. 22 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and 25th in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Taking over a team that won a combined seven games in the two years prior to his arrival, he has led the Roadrunners to a 31-9 record to become the winningest coach in program history in only three seasons. UTSA has posted the two best seasons by wins in program history after going 12-2 in 2021 and is one of just three Texas-based FBS schools to win at least 10 games in back-to-back years, joining Baylor and TCU. The Roadrunners are one of only three C-USA teams to go undefeated in league play since 2013, posting an 8-0 league ledger this fall, and they became just the third C-USA team ever to capture two straight crowns after defeating North Texas 48-27 on Dec. 2 to join East Carolina (2008-09) and Western Kentucky (2015-16).
In his debut campaign, Traylor guided the Roadrunners to a 7-5 overall record, a runner-up finish in C-USA's West Division with a 5-2 mark and an appearance in the First Responder Bowl. The Roadrunners received votes in a national poll for the first time in program history and the seven wins are the most by a first-year UTSA head coach.
UTSA enjoyed a record-setting campaign in Traylor's second season. The Roadrunners won their first 11 games, were nationally ranked (as high as No. 15) for the first time in school history and captured the program's first league title by winning the 2021 C-USA Championship with a 49-41 victory over WKU. UTSA capped the season with its second straight and third overall bowl appearance. Traylor was honored for his success as the 2021 C-USA Coach of the Year and AFCA FBS Regional Coach of the Year for Region 4 as well as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, AFCA National Coach of the Year and George Munger College Coach of the Year Award. He also was chosen as the 2021 San Antonio Express-News Sportsman of the Year.
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