Lennon for Coach of the Year?

You hate to give these awards in the midst of the season, but I figure I'd pimp SIU football head coach Dale Lennon for the award.

And you know who chooses the winner? The fans.

That's right, it's up to Saluki Nation to do it in true Chicago fashion and vote early and often for Coach Lennon.

I'm not sure if two different coaches have won the award back-to-back for the same university, but it would be cool if Lennon could follow Jerry Kill. On paper, it would mean three things.

• It would mean Kill's class is talented beyond the players that left last year after getting to the brink of a FCS title game appearance.
• It would also justify bringing in Lennon, a D-II coach with no familiarity of SIU or its players other than what he had seen on tape.
  
• Finally it would be a testament to the kind of job that he and his assistants have done implementing the "spread-ish" offense and 3-4 defense to a team not necessarily built for either.

And how do you not vote for a guy with an awesome mustache? As a guy who proudly reps a beard once the winter months roll around, I'm proud.

Vote Lennon! [Coach of the Year.com]

Photo Credit: Grand Forks Herald