BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott football head coach Paul McGonagle has been named the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston NCAA Division II/III Coach of the Year, as announced by the organization.
McGonagle is now a two-time Gridiron Club of Greater Boston NCAA Division II/III Coach of the Year honoree, having previously won the award in 2018 in his first year at the helm of the Gulls' program.
At the time of his first career honor, McGonagle was just the third coach in Gridiron Club history to earn both Head Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year honors in his career.
McGonagle, who claimed the latter award in 2016 as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Assumption College (NCAA Division II), joined Tom Godek and Dom Brown on the illustrious list with the achievement.
As for this fall, McGonagle led Endicott to historic heights including the program's highest national ranking at No. 14 overall in both national polls and the Gulls' first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent – No. 5/5 Hardin-Simmons, 37-10, on Friday, September 22.
Endicott posted a 9-2 overall record and the second-ever undefeated conference season (5-0) in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) football history.
For his efforts, McGonagle claimed his third straight CCC Coach of the Year award (fourth overall, 2018, 2021-23).
He also guided Clayton Marengi (Lynnfield, Mass.), Justyn Lester (Tewksbury, Mass.), and Colin Meropoulos (Monroe, Conn.) to CCC Co-Offensive, Offensive Lineman, and Defensive Lineman of the Year major awards this season, respectively.
Along with those honors, the Gulls' squad garnered 18 All-CCC accolades (11 First Team, 7 Second Team), nine D3football.com All-Region honors (3 First Team, 5 Second Team, 1 Third Team), and three New England Football Writers awards.
Meropoulos headlined the list of All-Region honorees by being named the D3football.com All-Region I Defensive Player of the Year.
He is the first student-athlete to win this award in the 20-year history of the program and just the second student-athlete to garner All-Region Defensive Player of the Year honors from any organization.
Endicott Statistical National Rankings (Top-25)
- 22nd toughest schedule in Division III (.602 winning percentage, 239 teams total)
- 17th-best attendance in Division III (1st in CCC)
- 3rd down conversion percentage (13th, 1st, .510)
- 4th down conversion percentage (6, 1, .714)
- 4th down conversion percentage defense (22, 1, .304)
- Kickoff returns (12, 1, 24.04)
- Fewest passes intercepted (4, 1, 2)
- Passing yards allowed (2, 1, 120.)
- Punt return defense (22, 1, 3.00)
- Punt returns (21, 1, 14.40)
- Rushing offense (21, 2, 213.9)
- Sacks allowed (8, 1, 0.64)
- Scoring defense (3, 1, 9.7)
- Team passing efficiency defense (19, 1, 100.47)
- Total defense (8, 1, 233.3)
- Winning percentage (24, 1, .818)
NOTES: (national ranking, conference ranking, statistical value)
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(Photo Credit - Tammy McManaway)
