WACO, Texas (Dec. 6) – Following an 11-win campaign and an undefeated regular season, California University of Pennsylvania head coach Gary Dunn was selected the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 1 Coach of the Year on Tuesday morning.

Dunn was one of five coaches in NCAA Division II named regional Coach of the Year on Tuesday, while the AFCA Division II National Coach of the Year will be announced on January 10. He also was one of 12 head coaches across the country – FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA – to earn their first AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2016.

An alumnus of Cal U, Dunn led the Vulcans to an 11-1 overall record in his first year as head coach. Cal U faced five nationally-ranked teams this season, all at home, before suffering a 41-30 loss to No. 3 Shepherd in the Super Region One Championship of the NCAA Playoffs. The Vulcans claimed their first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship since 2008 after being picked third in the preseason PSAC West poll.

Dunn set the school record for wins by a first-year head coach, as Earle Bruce previously held the mark after going 9-0 overall in 1946. Cal U posted its first double-digit win season since 2011 and recorded only its second one-loss season in over half a century. Dunn is the first Cal U head coach to be named regional AFCA Coach of the Year since John Luckhardt in 2007, which was also the last undefeated regular season for the program.

A former four-year starter for the Vulcans, Dunn spent the past six years as the offensive coordinator at Duquesne following a 13-year stint at Morehead State (Ky.).

Cal U led NCAA Division II in scoring offense this season at 49.6 points per game after scoring at least 50 points six times. In their 11 wins, the Vulcans posted a 33.8 point margin of victory this season.

Dunn is the only one of the 25 regional Coach of the Year recipients from FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA to earn the laurel in their first year as head coach.