AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – In one of the most admirable and praiseworthy salutes of the entire 2019 football season, Otterbein University's Tim Doup has been voted Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Coach of the Year by his counterparts from across the league.

Doup, wrapping up his eighth season at the helm, receives the honor for the second time in his career albeit under different circumstances. He was also selected Coach of the Year by his peers after his first season in 2012, when he guided the Cardinals to an 8-2 record.

Otterbein recently concluded a challenging 2-8 season this time around under Doup, who helped lead his program through an early-season tragedy followed by a handful of ensuing obstacles behind the scenes, away from the public eye.

"This is one of the classiest things I have ever been part of in my life," said Doup, who became emotional when learning of the gesture. "I'm fortunate to work with a group of coaches that truly care about one another and get along. Not every conference is like that. I tried to talk them out of it but nobody would listen. I am humbled, and truly honored that they respect me in this way."

The difficult stretch began in week one of the regular season on Friday, September 6, when Doup stood in front of 140 young men (one day before the team's season opener) and explained that star defensive lineman Nigel Chatman had been killed in a car accident on the way to morning practice. Chatman, 21, was Otterbein's emotional leader and a returning All-OAC nose guard.

Doup and the Cardinals took the field at Ohio Wesleyan the following afternoon, dropping a tough 22-10 game despite out-gaining the Bishops by almost 100 yards. They honored Chatman throughout a handful of pregame and post-game moments, and then Doup spoke during Chatman's funeral celebration a week later. To conclude his speech, he announced that no Otterbein player will ever wear No. 97 again.

The Cardinals then maneuvered more bumps as the schedule progressed, standing 0-6 at one point but never quitting. They were essentially in almost every game, despite a few multi-possession final scores, and secured a pair of wins down the stretch. Otterbein dropped a 14-7 slugfest with nationally-ranked John Carroll, out-gained Marietta 425-259 in week nine, and lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds to Wilmington in the season finale.

"This award is not just for me," Doup said. "This goes to our entire coaching staff, the young men in our program for showing up every day and, most importantly, for Nigel. I've learned that a large piece of coaching is how you handle adversity, or how you talk others through adversity. We had a lot more things work against us this year than some might have realized, but our kids continued showing up. Not every day is easy, but we do it together and care of one another."

Otterbein is expected to return a large group of key contributors from its relatively youthful team. As many as 10 freshmen or sophomores started during the second half of the season, including a true freshmen trio at quarterback, running back and center.
 
WHAT ELSE THEY ARE SAYING:

"I've had the pleasure to compete against Tim since I came into the conference, and I am glad we've been able to develop such a close friendship. I can't imagine a coach being dealt a more difficult hand than the one he had this season but, through it all, he handled everything remarkably. I am honored that he represents our league as Coach of the Year." – Scott Donaldson, Heidelberg

"It can be easy to only define coaches by their win/loss record. Tim had to be a lot of different things, to a lot of different people, for the past three months that extend well beyond X's and O's. The challenges of any coach going into a season can already be numerous and overwhelming at times. What Tim and his program went through this year with Nigel was tragic, but they handled everything with grace and class. That entire coaching staff has my utmost respect and I am proud to work in a conference where the head coaches can look beyond the football field to define this award." – Bryan Moore, Wilmington

"Tim epitomizes what it means to be a coach. He stood strong for his staff and players in the wake of tragedy, providing them with support and leadership as the season progressed. Mourning a loss like that during the season is difficult, but he succeeded in motivating his team to keep practicing and keep playing." – Jim Hilvert, Baldwin Wallace

"I see him every day, and so does everyone else in our office hallway that has his picture hanging on their door. We say hi to him each morning, and that reminds us to stand for something and start grinding. If not, he will be upset that you're not ready to go. It reminds you of who he was, how he was, and that you don't want to let him down." – Tim Doup, on the lasting impact of Nigel Chatman