WACO, Texas – Jordan Softcheck, the Offensive Coordinator for the Saint Anselm College football team, was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association's Assistant Coach of the Year award.

"Coach Softcheck has gone above and beyond to be a great mentor, ambassador and coach at Saint Anselm," remarked Head Coach Joe Adam. "He is very talented and I am so proud to have a colleague receive national recognition in our sport. It is further proof that we have exceptional people here on the Hilltop and within our football program."

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.

One of 50 nominees from across the NCAA and NAIA landscape, Softcheck recently completed his fourth season as the team's Offensive Coordinator in 2021 under Adam. His offensive units hold two of the top five single-season records in team history for total offense (377.5, 2019; 380.9, 2021).

Under his guidance in 2021, the Hawks offense finished as the ninth-ranked unit in NCAA Division II, averaging 314.7 passing yards – furthermore, Saint Anselm was ranked second in the Northeast-10 Conference in total offense (380.9).

In the 2021 season, Softcheck mentored the league's Rookie of the Year in Drew Willoughby (Austin, Texas), a First Team wide receiver in Anthony Brown (Belton, Texas), and an All-Rookie Team pick in Carson Goda (Bradenton, Fla.).

In 2019, Softcheck's offensive unit propelled Saint Anselm to its first three-game winning streak in five seasons. The offense threw for over 3,200 yards in 2019, averaging just shy of 300 passing yards per game, and Saint Anselm scored over 300 points for just the third time in team history.

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."