SBU Sports: Billy Cosh named 2024 AFCA FCS Coach of the Year
First Coach in Program History to Earn Award
First-year head coach Billy Cosh has been recognized as the 2024 AFCA FCS Coach of the Year, a significant milestone following Stony Brook’s remarkable turnaround season. This prestigious honor, announced earlier today by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), makes Cosh the first head coach in program history and second ever first-year FCS head coach to receive this accolade.
This marks the third Coach of the Year award for Cosh this season. Previously, he was named the 2024 CAA Coach of the Year and the 2024 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year. After inheriting a team that endured a winless 2023 campaign, Cosh led the Seawolves to their best season since 2017. At just 32 years old, Cosh is the second-youngest coach in Division I football and has revitalized a program that was projected to finish last in the CAA Preseason Coaches Poll. Under his leadership, Stony Brook achieved an impressive 8-4 overall record (5-3 CAA), marking their first winning season since 2018 and their highest national ranking in six years.
This season represents the most significant turnaround in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), with Stony Brook improving from a 0-10 record in 2023 to 8-4 in 2024. Cosh’s eight victories also place him among the top-performing first-year head coaches in FCS history, and he is now the fastest head coach in program history to reach this milestone.
Stony Brook’s offensive and defensive statistics saw dramatic improvements under Cosh’s leadership. On offense, the Seawolves improved their scoring average from 15.2 points per game in 2023 to 29.6 points per game in 2024. They also increased their average total yards from 314.2 to 403.9, rushing yards from 104.1 to 170.3, and passing yards from 210.1 to 223.6. The team’s touchdown total soared from 19 in 2023 to 44 in 2024.
Defensively, the Seawolves allowed just 24.0 points per game this season, compared to 39.2 points per game in 2023. They also reduced total yards allowed per game from 470.7 to 373.5 and limited opponents to 32 touchdowns compared to the 53 allowed last year.
Under Cosh’s leadership, Stony Brook has excelled on both sides of the ball, ranking among the top 10 in FCS for several key categories: red zone defense (70%), red zone offense (90.2%), time of possession (32:27), fumbles recovered (14), turnover margin (0.83), and turnovers gained (26). The team also ranked in the top three in the CAA for fourth-down conversion percentage (63.6%), blocked punts (1), blocked punts allowed (0), passes intercepted (12), punt return defense (6.2), scoring offense (29.7), tackles for loss allowed (4.5), and several other categories, including time of possession, turnover margin, red zone offense, red zone defense, and fumbles recovered.
Cosh’s guidance has elevated several players to national recognition. Running back Roland Dempster became only the second player in program history to be nominated for the Walter Payton Award and earned First Team All-CAA honors. Defensive lineman Rushawn Lawrence also secured First Team All-CAA recognition. Tight end Cal Redman, kicker Enda Kirby, and cornerback Rudy Silvera were named to the Second Team All-CAA, while offensive linemen Niko Papic and AJ Roberts earned spots on the All-CAA Third Team.
The head coach for the Seawolves and Keiser’s Myles Russ join Colorado Mines’ Brandon Moore, Richmond’s Mike London and Valdosta State’s David Dean as the only coaches to earn AFCA National Coach of the Year honors intheir first season as a head coach. Dean was the Division II winner in 2007, London was the FCS winner in 2008, and Moore was the Division II winner in 2022.
The winners are selected by a vote of the Active AFCA members at four-year schools in the Association’s five divisions. The AFCA has named a Coach of the Year since 1935. The AFCA Coach of the Year award is the oldest and most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one chosen exclusively by coaches.
The current balloting procedure involves selection of 25 regional winners: five regional winners in each of the five divisions – FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA, who become finalist for national coach of the year. Following regional voting, five national winners – one from each division – are chosen. The other recipients for the 2024 AFCA Coach of the Year were Indiana’s Curt Cignetti (FBS), Valdosta State’s Tremaine Jackson (Division II), Salisbury’s Sherman Wood (Division III) and Keiser’s Myles Russ (NAIA).
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