Rode claims FootballScoop.com honor

Morningside University football offensive coordinator Andrew Rode was tabbed FootballScoop.com's National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Coordinator of the Year Jan. 7.

Rode is the fourth Morningside University coordinator to be recognized by the collegiate football website. Co-defensive coordinators Casey Jacobsen and Nate Turner were honored following the 2019 national championship, as was former offensive coordinator Lucas Lueders after the 2018 national title.

The Mustangs offense averaged 600 yards per game, with almost an extra first down to spare. They raced for 8,517 yards (608.4 per game) on 904 plays (9.42 per play) and 103 touchdowns over 14 games. 

Morningside led the NAIA in passing offense and ranked 10th in rushing offense. Starting quarterback Joe Dolincheck (Bellevue, Neb.) hit 324-of-480 throws (67.5 percent) for 4,783 yards (10.0 per attempt) with 44 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. On the ground, senior Anthony Sims (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) led the charge with 1,653 yards on 7.2 a pop, but as a team, the Mustangs averaged 221.9 yards per game on 5.7 per carry.

No team averaged more first downs than Morningside's 31.7 per game, converted more third downs than Morningside's 56 percent, or scored more points than Morningside's 55.6 per game. The Mustangs topped the 60-point mark five times and the 700-yard mark on three occasions and did so in the same game once: an 84-7 bludgeoning of Briar Cliff, in which they threw for 332 yards (on 29 attempts) and added 378 yards on the ground, for a total of 710 yards on 74 snaps. 

Dolincheck, Sims, and senior offensive lineman Jason Hahlbeck (O'Neil, Neb.) were first-team All-Americans, and wide receiver Reid Jurgensmeier (Wahoo, Neb.) was a second-team All-American selection. Dolincheck won Player of the Year awards from the NAIA and the Great Plains Athletic Conference. In addition to the above, senior offensive lineman Tyler Anderson (Ida Grove, Iowa) was a first-team All-GPAC player. In contrast, senior wide receiver Zach Norton (Sioux Falls, S.D.), senior tight end Sione Tuifua (Barrow, Alaska), and senior offensive lineman Hunter Behrens (Manning, Iowa) were second-team All-GPAC selections. Senior wide receiver Caleb Schweigart (Omaha, Neb.), senior wide receiver Austin Johnson (Sioux Falls, S.D.), and junior offensive lineman Mason Williams (Omaha, Neb.) netted honorable mention league honors.

Rode joined the Morningside staff in 2020 after five seasons as the offensive coordinator at Concordia (Michigan). He also owns previous coordinator experience at Greenville College.

The FootballScoop.com Coaches of the Year awards presented by AstroTurf are the only awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (Gregg Horner [Valley City State], Phil Kleckler [Lindsey Wilson], Matt Myers [Kansas Wesleyan], AJ Parnell [Bethel], and Rode) were selected based on nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel.