Bronx, NY (Jan. 6, 2002): Fordham University head football coach Dave Clawson was named the 2002 Schutt Sports Coach of the Year in Division I-AA it was announced today. Clawson received his coach of the year award at the annual American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) meetings being held in New Orleans. Clawson, who was also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson I-AA Coach of the Year Award, led the Rams to the 2002 Patriot League championship and their first ever NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearance. In the playoffs, the Rams defeated Northeastern University, the Atlantic 10 champion, before falling to Villanova University in the quarterfinals. Fordham finished the year with a 10-3 overall record, 6-1 in the Patriot League.
The 2001 and 2002 Patriot League Coach of the Year, Clawson joins former Holy Cross mentor Mark Duffner (1986-87) as the only coach in Patriot League history to win the League’s Coach of the Year honor in consecutive years. Arriving at Rose Hill in 1999, Clawson built the Rams from an 0-11 squad his first year to league champions in 2002. This past fall, the Rams set numerous offensive team and individual records and had 14 players named All-Patriot League. The 2002 Rams set school records for most wins on the I-AA level, most wins in the Patriot League and most points scored in a season (418) and finished the season ranked 12th in the Sports Network poll and 15th in the ESPN/Sportsticker poll.
Individually, junior running back Kirwin Watson, who was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the I-AA Player of the Year, became the first Ram to record two 1,000-yard rushing seasons with 1,545 rushing yards this year, breaking Chip Kron’s single season record of 1,263 set in 1984. Junior wide receiver Javarus Dudley broke his own record with 1,106 receiving yards in 2002 and tied the Fordham record with 77 receptions. Junior quarterback Kevin Eakin recorded 3,040 passing yards this year, breaking Mark Carney’s school record of 2,700 set last year. He also had 239 completions this year, breaking Joe Moorhead’s 1995 school record of 229.
