Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Winners 'Pass It On' to Support Local Charities and Scholarships

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The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award differentiates itself from other college football trophies by going beyond wins and losses to celebrate the positive impact our coaches make on the lives of the student-athletes they mentor and the communities in which they live

Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 14, 2009

Nine Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year winners have donated a combined $680,000 in award money toward charity and scholarship since 2006, and Liberty Mutual Insurance continues this philanthropic legacy with the opening of voting for the 2009 awards at http://www.coachoftheyear.com through December 6. The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award honors one coach in each NCAA division who best exemplifies sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence on and off the field.

At a time when charitable giving is eroding at the fastest rate in five decades, an inflation-adjusted 5.7 percent decline in 2008 over 2007 donations according to GivingUSA, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners are making tangible impacts on their communities with the $50,000 they each receive to support their favorite charities and $20,000 for their school's alumni association to fund scholarships. Some of these exceptional stories are profiled in a new "Pass It On" video at coachoftheyear.com, narrated by ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

''Pass It On'' gives college football fans an up-close look at the exceptional impact that previous Coach of the Year Award winner's donations have had on individuals, families and communities, including:

•     Ron Zook, Illinois (2007, FBS) - active in many community and charitable endeavors, Coach Zook used his Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award money to support five charity groups that deal with the special education needs and learning challenges of children, and support facilities for abused or disadvantaged youth.
•     Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois (2007, FCS) - having battled kidney cancer in 2005, the then-Southern Illinois coach, started the Coach Kill Cancer Fund to assist patients and their families with medical costs and other associated expenses. His Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award money directly helped more than 100 families battle the disease.
•     Chuck Broyles, Pittsburg State (2008, Division II) - a long-time supporter of youth causes, Coach Chuck Broyles (2008 Division II Winner) used his Coach of the Year Award to provide YMCA memberships to 200 underprivileged children in Pittsburg, Kan.
•     Larry Kehres, Mount Union (2008, Division III) - Coach Kehres used portions of his Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award to help families in need through Habitat for Humanity in Alliance, Ohio.

"The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award differentiates itself from other college football trophies by going beyond wins and losses to celebrate the positive impact our coaches make on the lives of the student-athletes they mentor and the communities in which they live," said Herbstreit. ''A simple click enables you to express your passionate support for your team and coach, and may make a difference in how charities across the country will benefit from this award.''

CoachoftheYear.com: Entertaining Today's College Football Fan
Online fan voting and the Pass It On video are just two of the many interactive elements created at CoachoftheYear.com for the passionate college football fan:

•     Herbstreit and football legend and College Football Hall of Fame quarterback Archie Manning explains the unique elements of the award in a series of videos.
•     A series of "Coach Insider" profiles, the first featuring Utah's Kyle Whittingham, offer an inside look at how some of the biggest coaching names in college football approach life, on and off the field.
•     Throughout the season there will be video spotlights on some of the game's greatest coaches, including Penn State's Joe Paterno
•     Fans can encourage their friends to vote by personalizing a "SuperFan" viral video featuring Herbstreit and sending via the website or Facebook.

About Liberty Mutual Group
''Helping people live safer, more secure lives'' since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group (LibertyMutualGroup.com) is a diversified global insurer and fifth-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2008 direct written premium. Liberty Mutual Group ranks 86th on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations, based on 2008 revenue. The company has over 45,000 employees located in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

The eighth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty Mutual (LibertyMutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability, and individual life insurance. The company is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees and members of more than 12,000 companies, credit unions, professional associations and alumni groups.

About the National Football Foundation & the College Football Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 121 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, Play It Smart, the NFF-FWAA Football Forum, the NFF Gridiron Club of New York City, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. Learn more at FootballFoundation.org or CollegeFootball.org.

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