WACO, Texas--  Wartburg football coach, Chris Winter was named an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Regional Coach of the Year, the national organization announced today.

These winners will be honored on Tuesday, January 9, during the 2024 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, and NAIA. The winners are selected by Active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.

This is the first career honor for Winter, and first for the program since 2017.
 
2023 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Winners
Football Bowl Subdivision
Region 1: Mike Norvell, Florida State University
Region 2: Eliah Drinkwitz, University of Missouri
Region 3: David Braun, Northwestern University
Region 4: Jerry Kill, New Mexico State University
Region 5: Kalen DeBoer, University of Washington
 
Football Championship Subdivision
Region 1: Greg Gattuso, University at Albany
Region 2: Clay Hendrix, Furman University
Region 3: *Willie Simmons, Florida A&M University
Region 4: Todd Stepsis, Drake University
Region 5: Bobby Hauck, University of Montana
 
Division II
Region 1: Jim Clements, Kutztown University
Region 2: *Chennis Berry, Benedict College
Region 3: Josh Lamberson, University of Central Missouri
Region 4: Paul Simmons, Harding University
Region 5: Pete Sterbick, Colorado School of Mines
 
Division III
Region 1: Curt Fitzpatrick, SUNY Cortland
Region 2: Greg Chimera, Johns Hopkins University
Region 3: Jerheme Urban, Trinity (Tex.) University
Region 4: *Jason Couch, Alma College
Region 5: Chris Winter, Wartburg College
 
NAIA
Region 1: Doug Socha, Keiser University
Region 2: Mike Feminis, Saint Xavier University
Region 3: Chuck Hepola, Evangel University
Region 4: *Matt McCarty, Northwestern College
Region 5: Drew Maddox, Louisiana Christian University
*-2022 winner
 
AFCA National Coach of the Year: The AFCA will announce the 2023 National Coaches of the Year winners in FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA on Tuesday, January 9th. The Regional winners in each division are finalists for National Coach of the Year.

Award History: The AFCA began recognizing district coaches of the year following the 1960 season. The awards were established the same year Eastman Kodak agreed to sponsor the AFCA Coach of the Year award. Prior to 1960, the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain had sponsored the program, which recognized one national Coach of the Year.
The AFCA first recognized eight district winners in each of two divisions: university and college. In 1972, a ninth district was added in each division. In 1983, the award was changed to recognize regional winners instead of district winners. The number of divisions was also increased from two to four and five regional winners were selected in each division. This resulted in a more equitable selection process and better represented the make-up of the membership. At the same time, the new system increased the number of honorees from 18 to 20. In 2006, the AFCA Division II Award was split into separate Division II and NAIA divisions, giving us the 25 winners we now recognize.
 
First Time Winners: Fourteen coaches earned their first AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Award in 2023: Florida State's Mike Norvell, Missouri's Eliah Drinkwitz, Northwestern's David Braun, Albany's Greg Gattuso, Furman's Clay Hendrix, Drake's Todd Stepsis, Central Missouri's Josh Lamberson, Harding's Paul Simmons, Colorado School of Mines' Pete Sterbick, Cortland's Curt Fitzpatrick, Johns Hopkins' Greg Chimera, Wartburg's Chris Winter, Evangel's Chuck Hepola and Louisiana Christian's Drew Maddox.