Pitt’s Randy Bates Named 2020 AFCA FBS Assistant Coach Of The Year
January 12, 2021
The American Football Coaches Association is proud to announce Pittsburgh’s Randy Bates as the 2020 AFCA FBS Assistant Coach of the Year. A total of 26 nominees from Football Bowl Subdivision were nominated in 2020 for their dedication to their teams and communities.
Bates has been the defensive coordinator at Pitt for the past three seasons and has turned the Panthers into one of the best run-stopping units in the country. He has also helped produce several All-Americans during his short time in Pittsburgh and the defense has been ranked in the Top 20 overall for a second consecutive season.
Bates arrived at Pitt after spending 12 years as the linebackers coach at Northwestern. Prior to that, he spent six seasons at Louisiana Tech, coaching all defensive positions before moving to defensive coordinator in 2005. Bates began his coaching career at Muskingum in 1982 as an assistant offensive line coach. He moved on as a graduate assistant at Miami (Ohio) in 1983 before becoming the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at St. Joseph’s (Ind.) in 1984. Bates spent five seasons at St. Joseph’s before landing at Navy in 1989 as linebackers and defensive backs coach. After three years with the Midshipmen, Bates went to New Hampshire as linebackers coach in 1992 until 1997.
RELATED ARTICLE: Lenape Valley’s Don Smolyn Receives 2020 AFCA Power Of Influence Award
Bates is a 35-year member of the AFCA and currently serves on the AFCA FBS Assistant Coaches Committee. He is a retired Naval Lieutenant who visits the local Veterans Affairs Hospital and buys more than 100 tickets annually to Pitt football games so area veterans can attend.
AFCA FBS Assistant Coach of the Year Finalists for 2020
Matt Guerrieri, Duke
Brick Haley, Missouri
Randy Bates, Pittsburgh
Each year, staff representatives from NCAA and NAIA football-playing schools are asked to nominate an assistant for consideration. From those nominations, the winners are selected by the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year Committee.
The Assistant Coach of the Year award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA professional organization involvement.
The criteria for the award is not limited to on-field coaching ability or the success of the team and the players whom these assistant coaches work with. Service to the community through charitable work and other volunteer activities, participation in AFCA activities and events, participation in other professional organizations and impact on student-athletes are all taken into account in the selection process.
Winners of the Assistant Coach of the Year Award will receive a plaque to commemorate their recognition. Bates was honored today during the 2021 virtual AFCA Convention.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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The American Football Coaches Association is proud to announce Pittsburgh’s Randy Bates as the 2020 AFCA FBS Assistant Coach of the Year. A total of 26 nominees from Football Bowl Subdivision were nominated in 2020 for their dedication to their teams and communities.
Bates has been the defensive coordinator at Pitt for the past three seasons and has turned the Panthers into one of the best run-stopping units in the country. He has also helped produce several All-Americans during his short time in Pittsburgh and the defense has been ranked in the Top 20 overall for a second consecutive season.
Bates arrived at Pitt after spending 12 years as the linebackers coach at Northwestern. Prior to that, he spent six seasons at Louisiana Tech, coaching all defensive positions before moving to defensive coordinator in 2005. Bates began his coaching career at Muskingum in 1982 as an assistant offensive line coach. He moved on as a graduate assistant at Miami (Ohio) in 1983 before becoming the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at St. Joseph’s (Ind.) in 1984. Bates spent five seasons at St. Joseph’s before landing at Navy in 1989 as linebackers and defensive backs coach. After three years with the Midshipmen, Bates went to New Hampshire as linebackers coach in 1992 until 1997.
RELATED ARTICLE: Lenape Valley’s Don Smolyn Receives 2020 AFCA Power Of Influence Award
Bates is a 35-year member of the AFCA and currently serves on the AFCA FBS Assistant Coaches Committee. He is a retired Naval Lieutenant who visits the local Veterans Affairs Hospital and buys more than 100 tickets annually to Pitt football games so area veterans can attend.
AFCA FBS Assistant Coach of the Year Finalists for 2020
Matt Guerrieri, Duke
Brick Haley, Missouri
Randy Bates, Pittsburgh
Each year, staff representatives from NCAA and NAIA football-playing schools are asked to nominate an assistant for consideration. From those nominations, the winners are selected by the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year Committee.
The Assistant Coach of the Year award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA professional organization involvement.
The criteria for the award is not limited to on-field coaching ability or the success of the team and the players whom these assistant coaches work with. Service to the community through charitable work and other volunteer activities, participation in AFCA activities and events, participation in other professional organizations and impact on student-athletes are all taken into account in the selection process.
Winners of the Assistant Coach of the Year Award will receive a plaque to commemorate their recognition. Bates was honored today during the 2021 virtual AFCA Convention.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
