Springfield College football head coach
Mike Cerasuolo has been named as the Associated Press (AP) Division III Football National Coach of the Year after a historic 2024 campaign on Alden Street.
Cerasuolo is the first in Springfield football program history and first from the New England region to earn the prestigious honor.
It was a historic season for the Pride, as it set a program record for wins (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 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. In that span of four seasons, Cerasuolo and the Pride have produced an unblemished record of 26-0 in conference contests and an overall record of 37-10.
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 of the tournament.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.
(Story courtesy of Springfield Sports Information)