WACO, Tex. - Shippensburg University head football coach Rocky Rees was named the 2009 Region One Coach of the Year on Wednesday morning by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) following a season in which his program reached the Division II Football Championships after winning a divisional title and a conference championship.

It is the third time in Rees' storied career that he has received a coaching honor from the AFCA and the second time he has received an award while at Shippensburg. Rees was previously honored at Shippensburg following the 2004 campaign and at Susquehanna University after the 1986 season.

Rees guided the Red Raider program to a five-win turnaround, finishing the regular season with a 9-2 record. SU earned the PSAC Eastern Division title with a 5-1 divisional record and then won its first PSAC Championship trophy in 28 years after the team's 42-35 victory over California (Pa.) in the league's annual State Game. It is the first time since the 1991 season, a campaign also guided by Coach Rees, that Shippensburg has improved its win total by five or more games over the course of consecutive seasons.

Shippensburg entered the 2009 season having lost six games over the previous two seasons by just six points or less in addition to posting a 4-11 record in its last 15 games decided by seven points or less. This season, Rees' Red Raiders won all four of their regular season games that were decided by seven points or less, including three consecutive victories over Kutztown, West Chester and Bloomsburg by a combined 10 points. Two of those games were won with clutch performances on the team's final drive.

The team thrived offensively this season at an almost unprecedented level. The Red Raiders scored at least 21 points in all 12 games of their games this season, a feat never before achieved in 105 seasons of organized football at the university. The team scored a season-high 63 points in  a victory over Millersville and totaled more than 40 points in a game on four occasions.

Among the other records set by Shippensburg this include a new school mark for kickoff return yards with 1,111 through 12 games (47 returns). The previous record was 1,001 kickoff return yards in the 1995 season (57 returns). The Red Raiders averaged 23.6 yards per kickoff return this season, just six-tenths of a yard short of the school record set in the 2003 season (24.2 ypr, 25-606).

Shippensburg also came within six points of a new record for points scored in a season, finishing the year with 393 points (32.8 per game). The school record for points is 398, set in 1999. The Red Raiders came within one touchdown of tying the school record for the most touchdowns scored in one season (53 in 1999) and two extra points of the new school record for PATs in one season (48 in 2004).

In terms of league play, Shippensburg led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) through 13 weeks in kickoff returns, fourth-down conversions (60.0%, 12-of-20) and average time of possession (32:40). The Red Raiders were also ranked second in passing defense efficiency (109.4), opponent 3rd-down conversions (27.0) and in interceptions (15) while ranking among the PSAC's Top 5 schools in 23 statistical categories.

The winners are selected by active members of the AFCA who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions. All of the regional winners, including Coach Rees, will be recognized at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner at the 2010 AFCA Convention in Orlando, Fla. The dinner is scheduled for January 12. The AFCA will also announce its five 2009 National Coach of the Year winners at the 2010 AFCA Convention in Orlando, Fla.