CHADRON – Always an offensive lineman at heart, Chadron State head football coach Bill O'Boyle is the first one to give credit elsewhere. However, that's a difficult thing to do once you've been named the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year for Division II. O'Boyle, along with Ron Zook of Illinois, Jerry Kill of Southern Illinois, and John Gagliardi of St. John's University have each been awarded the prestigious coach of the year honor for exemplifying integrity, responsibility and excellence on and off the football field. The winners were announced during the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year program on ABC Saturday afternoon. "It hasn't even really set in yet because I haven't had time to sit down and think about it," O'Boyle said. "Winning the award is great for the program and I'm happy for my family because it'll mean a lot to my mom and dad. I'm also happy for my staff because those guys put their hearts and souls into Chadron State football. The award is nice to get, but I wouldn't have had a shot at it without the coaches who surround me. "I'm glad people are seeing what our staff is doing with what little resources we have, so I have to give all the credit to the other coaches for this award. This isn't a reflection of me; it's their award as much as it is mine." O'Boyle, who's posted a career record of 28-8 in three years and two consecutive 12-1 seasons while guiding the Eagles to back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles, was chosen from a field of 150 Division II coaches. With the award, O'Boyle receives a $50,000 cash award to support civic and charitable activities, as well as a $20,000 scholarship donation to the school's alumni association. O'Boyle said he plans to donate a large portion of the $50,000 to Friends of Pets, a regional organization that finds homes for rescued dogs, as well as placing unwanted pets. "I'm really pleased I'll be able to help out Friends of Pets," O'Boyle said. "It's a great organization but they don't have a lot of resources so they spend money out of their own pockets. It's unbelievable what they do for animals and so I'm glad I'll be able to help them out." College football fans and a selection committee including College Football Hall of Fame-inducted players and coaches and national media members cast their votes throughout the football season. Fan votes were worth 20 percent, the Hall of Fame vote accounted for 55 percent and the media's vote was worth 25 percent. In addition to O'Boyle, the finalists for Division II included Nebraska-Omaha's Pat Behrns, Chuck Broyles of Pittsburg State, Dr. George Mihalik of Slippery Rock, and Dale Lennon of North Dakota. The Liberty Mutual award is one of several coaching honors O'Boyle has received. He's been named the RMAC Coach of the Year and the American Football Coaches Association Region 5 Coach of the Year two consecutive seasons. He was also named the Sportexe Division II Coach of the Year and Football Gazette National Coach of the Year in 2006. Last season O'Boyle was also the first Chadron State coach to be named the Lincoln Journal Star College Coach of the Year. O'Boyle, who graduated high school from Des Moines East High School in 1982, began his coaching career at Western Illinois as a student coach after breaking his neck in a football game his sophomore year. Once he earned his bachelor's degree from Western Illinois, O'Boyle served as a graduate assistant and then assistant coach at Chadron State. After a four-year stint coaching in Western Illinois, O'Boyle returned to Chadron in 1994 and has coached the Eagles' offensive line and served as offensive coordinator. During his 14 years as an assistant coach, the Eagles posted a 106-41 record. O'Boyle said former Western Illinois coaches Bill Wilt, Bruce Craddock and Dan Dodd were instrumental in guiding him as a coach. O'Boyle also said former Chadron State head coach and current athletic director Brad Smith had an influence on his coaching style. In addition to his head coaching duties at Chadron State, O'Boyle is the offensive coordinator and coaches the offensive line. Away from the football field, he works with several organizations in Chadron including Friends of Pets, Operation Bread Basket, and Caring and Sharing for Christmas.