Courtesy Framingham State Sports Information

Framingham, Mass. – Framingham State University head football coach Tom Kelley was honored as the 2012 Division II/III Coach of the Year and senior defensive lineman James Muirhead (Middleboro, Mass.) was named the 2012 Division II/III Season Gold Helmet Award winner by the New England Football Writers.  Kelley and Muirhead were honored along with the other award recipients last night at the NEFW’s annual Captains and Awards Dinner.

Kelley guided the Rams to their most successful season in 2012.  Kelley’s Rams compiled a school best 10-2 record making their first trip to the NCAA Division III Football Championship.  The Rams earned the New England Football Conference’s (NEFC) automatic bid after claiming their first NEFC Championship by defeating Salve Regina University in the league’s final championship game.  The Rams captured their second consecutive NEFC Bogan Division Title with a perfect 7-0 mark in the division and third straight MASCAC Championship as they rattled off a school record 10 consecutive victories.  In Kelley’s six seasons at the helm, he has a 38-25 record and has been recognized as a coach of the year five times by four different organizations including this year by the NEFW.  Kelley has been tabbed as the NEFC Bogan Division Coach of the Year twice in 2012 and 2010, the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Coach of the Year in 2011, and the Master Sports Coach of the Year in 2010.

Muirhead, the first FSU player to receive the season Gold Helmet award which is presented to the best player in New England, received two awards at the dinner as he was also chosen as a Division II/III All-New England selection by the New England Football Writers.  Muirhead, the NEFC leader in sacks in 2012 with 10.5, has previously been named the NEFC Bogan Division Defensive Player of the Year, a first team All-Bogan Division selection and an All-East Region first team selection by D3football.com.  Muirhead, the Rams leading tackler in 2012, still has a pair of games left as he has been chosen to play in two All-Star games.  He will participate in the third annual National Bowl in Allentown, PA this Sunday.  The National Bowl features seniors from all three college division and in two weeks Muirhead will play in the All-American Bowl in Minneapolis.