83R8310 STE-D

By: Otto H.R. No. 583

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Willie Fritz, the head football coach at Sam Houston State University, has been chosen as the Liberty Mutual NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Coach of the Year for 2012, and this notable accolade follows a successful season in which he led his team to its second consecutive Southland Conference championship; and

WHEREAS, Sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance in partnership with the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame, the Coach of the Year accolade honors sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility, and excellence both on and off the field; the award provides Coach Fritz with $20,000 to donate to the SHSU Alumni Association and $50,000 to donate to charity, and the coach has selected the Lone Survivor Foundation and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as the recipients of the funds; and

WHEREAS, Since taking the helm at SHSU in 2010, Willie Fritz has established himself as one of the top coaches in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision; in both 2011 and 2012, the Bearkats won the Southland Conference title and competed in the national championship game; moreover, many SHSU players have achieved All-Conference and All-American honors under the direction of Coach Fritz, and team members have been finalists for the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Awards; and

WHEREAS, Coach Fritz also places a strong emphasis on academics, which has resulted in numerous Bearkats earning a place on academic honor rolls; in addition, the coach, his staff, and members of the squad play a positive role in the local community by participating in food drives, by raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House and wounded veterans, and by helping schoolchildren develop their reading skills; and

WHEREAS, The expertise and commitment demonstrated by Coach Fritz are further reflected in the numerous other awards he has received; the American Football Coaches Association has twice selected him as Regional Coach of the Year, and in 2011 he was voted the association's National Coach of the Year and the Southland Conference Coach of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Before beginning his tenure at SHSU, Coach Fritz spent 13 years leading the football program at the University of Central Missouri, where he became the school's winningest coach; and

WHEREAS, With his latest accomplishments, Willie Fritz has advanced the outstanding reputation of Bearkat athletics, and his work is greatly appreciated by the university's supporters and by sports fans from throughout the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Willie Fritz on being named the Liberty Mutual NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Coach of the Year for 2012 and commend him for guiding the Sam Houston State University football team to its second consecutive Southland Conference championship; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Coach Fritz as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.