Riley replaces Bellotti on AFCA board

MIKE RILEY HAS has been named to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association. The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. Riley was selected to replace recently retired Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti on the Board.

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 10,000 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.”

“It’s a terrific honor to be selected to the Board of Trustees,” Mike Riley said. “It’s an exciting time for college football and I look forward to serving our profession.”

Other members of the AFCA Board of Trustees who will serve with Riley include 2009 AFCA President Dick Tomey of San Jose State University; first vice-president Larry Kehres of Mount Union College; second vice-president Rob Ash of Montana State University and third vice-president Tim Murphy of Harvard University.

Also serving on the Board in 2009: Rich Rodriguez, University of Michigan; Mike Welch, Ithaca College; Jim Tressel, Ohio State University; Mack Brown, University of Texas; Lee Owens, Ashland University; Jim Grobe, Wake Forest University; Bill Cronin, Georgetown College (Ky.); Lou Tepper, Indiana University (Pa.); Frank Solich, Ohio University; Randy Edsall, University of Connecticut; Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt University; Turner Gill, University at Buffalo and Rob Ianello, University of Notre Dame, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee.

Riley will enter his ninth season as the head man of Oregon State in '09. He has a 56-42 overall record in two different stints (1997-98 and 2003-present) as head coach. Since 2003, Riley has guided the Beavers to the longest active bowl win streak (five games) in the Pac-10 and the second best record in conference over the past three seasons (28-12).

Last year, Riley led Oregon State to a second place finish in the Pac-10, with an overall record of 9-4 for the second straight year after beating Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl. He earned Pac-10 and AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors following the season.

Riley over the past six seasons won the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl, the 2004 Insight Bowl, the 2006 and 2008 Sun Bowls, and the 2007 Emerald Bowl. He also is the first OSU coach to lead the program to more than one winning conference season (5-3 in ’04, 6-3 in ’06, 6-3 in ’07 and 7-2 in ‘08) since 1969.