Football Standouts And Head Coach Joe Fincham Earn Postseason Honors From d3football.com

Joe Fincham

Eddie Vallery

Springfield, Ohio — Wittenberg University Football Head Coach Joe Fincham has been selected Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year and Eddie Vallery, class of 2011 from South Solon, Ohio, has been named Great Lakes Region Defensive Player of the Year by d3football.com.

Vallery was one of five Wittenberg players to earn all-region honors from the organization. He was joined on the first team by tailback Corey Weber, class of 2011 from Pataskala, Ohio, and center Dillon Hollin, class of 2010 from Prospect, Ky. Defensive tackle Adam Kattoua, class of 2011 from Upper Arlington, Ohio, cornerback Brandyn Brown, class of 2010 from Louisville, Ky., were selected to the second team. Brown made the team as a return specialist.

The award is the latest in a string of postseason awards for Fincham, who was also named North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Coach of the Year for the sixth time in his 14-year career as the Tigers' head coach, Region II Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association for the second time and Ohio Division III Coach of the Year by OhioCollegeFootball.com. The honors come after Fincham led the Tigers to the 18th undefeated regular season in school history in 2009, and a school record-tying 12 wins against just one loss, which came in the NCAA Division III Tournament quarterfinals at No. 2-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The Tigers went 7-0 in the NCAC to win the program's ninth title in 21 years in the league - including seven under Fincham's direction. The outright title - the fifth under Fincham (Wittenberg shared the 1997 and 2006 titles) - advanced the Tigers to their 13th NCAA Division III Tournament since its inception in 1973. Wittenberg defeated Mount St. Joseph in the first round and Trine in the second round to reach the national quarterfinals for the fourth time since Fincham took the reins in 1996.

Fincham, a native of Williamstown, W.Va. and a 1988 graduate of Ohio University, has career records of 126-30 overall and 85-14 in the NCAC. His NCAA Division III Tournament record is 9-7.

Fincham trails only National College Football Hall of Fame honoree Dave Maurer, who posted a 129-23-3 record between 1969 and 1983, in total wins at Wittenberg. He ranks third in winning percentage as his .810 mark trails Maurer (.842) and fellow National College Football Hall of Famer Bill Edwards, who had a 98-20-4 record (.820) between 1955 and 1969.

Vallery recorded 73 tackles, including 22 for a loss, which ranks second in school history. He led the NCAC and all of NCAA Division III with 16.5 sacks, in addition to forcing two fumbles and blocking two kicks. He became the first Wittenberg player to earn NCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors since Juan Howard in 2001.

Written by: Ryan Maurer

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