The Louisiana Christian University football program’s fourth-year leader, coach Drew Maddox, has won his second award of the 2023 offseason as he was announced Wednesday as the American Football Coaches Association NAIA Region 5 NAIA Coach of the Year. 

Maddox, the back-to-back Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, guided his alma mater to its first conference championship and NAIA Football Championship Series in program history while cracking the NAIA Top 25 for the first time as well, entering its first-round matchup at Baker (Kansas) slotted at No. 21.  

Since his arrival, LCU has knocked off four top-25 opponents including No. 15 Texas Wesleyan this season in the SAC championship battle. His Wildcats are a perfect 2-0 vs. Border Claw rival East Texas Baptist to retain the coveted trophy.

Maddox has coached three All-Americans while winning 15-of-19 (79 percent) of contests played at Wildcat Field, holding a 13-game winning streak at home heading into 2024. 

In 2023 alone, the Wildcats won a program record nine games and finished with a record-high .818 winning percentage that consisted of a state-best 13 consecutive victories spanning October 8, 2022 to October 21, 2023. 

Also holding the title of defensive line coach, Maddox guided those troops to havoc on opposing O-Linemen with the sixth-most sacks (37) and 18th-most fumble recoveries (12) in the NAIA to lead the SAC in each, accumulating 137.5 tackles for loss as well as 32 quarterback hurries in addition to overseeing four all-conference selections including SAC Defensive Player of the Year Logan Brimmer. 

Since the football program was revived for the 2000 campaign, he ranks second among all coaches at Louisiana College / Christian with a 58 percent winning percentage, 22 wins (22-16), and four seasons coached, trailing only Dennis Dunn in each category (11 Seasons, 65-45 Record, 59.1 win percentage). 

He is one of only five coaches in the NAIA to be recognized along with Keiser’s Doug Socha, Saint Xavier’s Mike Feminis, Evangel’s Chuck Hepola, and Northwestern (Iowa)’s Matt McCarty, on top of being one of 14 first-time winners from all levels of college football, which sport big names such as Mike Norvell from Florida State, Eliah Drinkwitz from Missouri, David Braun from Northwestern, Jerry Kill from New Mexico State, and Kalen DeBoer from Washington. 

The AFCA’s NAIA Coach of the Year award will be announced on January 9 at the AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.