BOSTON, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --College football coaches devote fall Saturdays to executing their game strategies in hopes of leading their teams to victory.Yet, across each of the four major college football divisions, there are coaches whose dedication and commitment are felt beyond the field of play, helping to promote academic excellence among their student-athletes and through charitable acts in their communities.Today, Liberty Mutual Insurance recognizes those coaches and announces the 25 finalists for the 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, the premier college football-coaching honor that promotes charity and scholarship while also honoring coaches for their sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence, on and off the field.

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The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award recognizes coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II and Division III. The 25 finalists (10 from FBS and five each from FCS, Division II and Division III) were determined as a result of fan voting through CoachOfTheYear.com and Twitter from September 12 through December 1, and evaluated through an objective scoring model endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame. To qualify for this model, each coach was among the top 15 in fan votes in his division. Those coaches were then evaluated on a series of on- and off-field criteria; including wins, team penalties, sportsmanship, academic performance by the student-athletes, and charitable commitments in their community and beyond.

"As both a father and a former college football player, I truly believe that coaches have an invaluable role in shaping the players they lead and the communities in which they live," said Archie Manning, Chairman of the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame."Each of the 25 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalists are living proof that the complete package of on-field excellence and off-field charity inspires not just their players and communities, but also the fans nationwide who admire and respect them."

2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Finalists (listed alphabetically)Football Bowl Subdivision:Brian Kelly, Notre Dame Urban Meyer, Ohio State Jim Mora, UCLA Bill O'Brien, Penn State Mark Richt, Georgia Nick Saban, Alabama Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M Dabo Swinney, Clemson Charlie Strong, Louisville

Football Championship Subdivision:Rob Ash, Montana State Willie Fritz, Sam Houston State Joe Moglia, Coastal Carolina Jeff Monken, Georgia Southern Danny Rocco, Richmond

Division II:Mark Maciejewski, Shippensburg (Pa.) Scott Maxfield, Henderson State (Ark.) Bob Nielson, Minnesota Duluth Peter Rossomando, New Haven (Conn.) Jed Stugart, Sioux Falls (S.D.)

Division III:Jim Catanzaro, Lake Forest (Ill.) Glenn Caruso, St. Thomas (Minn.) Pat Cerroni, Wisconsin-Oshkosh Lonnie Pries, Concordia Chicago Steve Staker, Coe (Iowa)

Beginning today through December 20, fans can log their Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year vote for the most deserving coach in each of the four divisions daily by visiting coachoftheyear.com on their PC, tablet or mobile device and posting a pre-populated tweet. As part of Liberty Mutual's partnership with the National Football Foundation, a selection committee of more than 50 College Football Hall of Fame players and coaches, including Archie Manning, Lou Holtz, Vince Dooley, Ronnie Lott, Archie Griffin; as well as national college football media, such as Colin Cowherd, Stewart Mandel and Tim Brando, will evaluate the coaches based on their responsibility, integrity and on-field success to help determine the four coaching winners. Winners are ultimately determined using the following voting weight: Fans 20 percent, College Football Hall of Fame 55 percent, and Media 25 percent.

"College football fans across the country know the important role the coach plays in leading their team each week," said James MacPhee, senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer at Liberty Mutual Insurance."But it is those select few that excel as leaders both on and off the field. That is why we are excited to give fans the opportunity to honor these coaches through the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award and are proud to announce the 25 coaches who have made such an impact in the lives of their players and communities."

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Liberty Mutual Insurance Announces 25 Finalists For 2012 Coach Of The Year Award