The American Football Coaches Association has announced its 2011 Assistant Coach of the Year winners. One assistant coach from each of the five divisions of college football was selected, and Albright's Mike Hoyt was named one of just three national finalists in Division III.

Each year, staff representatives from NCAA and NAIA football-playing schools are asked to nominate an assistant for consideration. From those nominations, a winner is selected by the AFCA Public Relations Committee. The winners of this award were selected from Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and the NAIA.

Greg Peterson, offensive coordinator at Bethel College, was the winner of the D3 award. Hoyt and Middlebury's Joe Early were the other finalists.

Hoyt just completed his eighth season at Albright. He is the staff's longest serving coach, and helped head coach John Marzka's successful transition into the position. Hoyt now holds the title of associate head coach and the Lions are 37-19 since Marzka took over.

As well as his duties as defensive coordinator, Hoyt serves as the Director of Strength & Fitness for all of Albright's athletic teams.

Hoyt has also been in charge of Albright's Fellowship for Christian Athletes, and runs the Lions' summer team camps.

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 players that 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.

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world, ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football and coaching.”