FootballScoop is proud to announce that Roddy Mote (Harding) is the 2025 FootballScoop Division II Coordinator of the Year, presented by Teamworks as selected by prior winners.
The layman knows Harding football for its rushing attack. And indeed, at 446 yards per game, the Bisons have again stampeded their way into another Division II national title game, where the 2023 national champions will meet defending champs Ferris State for the 2025 crown. But just as Harding's offense overwhelms opposing defenses, the Bisons' defense also suffocates its opponents' passing game.
Through 15 games, Harding is fourth nationally in pass efficiency defense. In 421 attempts, opposing quarterbacks have completed 223 attempts (53 percent) for 2,245 yards (5.3 per attempt) with 11 touchdowns against 16 interceptions. Their 149.7 yards per game through the air are second nationally.
Harding is also a top-25 unit on the ground, limiting opponents to 113.1 yards per game and 3.59 per carry with 11 touchdowns across 473 attempts.
The Bisons are one of 20 Division II teams to force at least 25 turnovers, and their red zone defense is first in the nation by a relative mile, checking in eight percentage points ahead of second-place Grand Valley State. In 23 opportunities -- the fewest per game in Division II -- Harding has surrendered just nine touchdowns.
Add it all together and you get a defense that allows 262.8 yards per game (third nationally), 4.41 per play (sixth), and leads the nation at 10.8 points per game allowed. Seven opponents to date have failed to crack double digits against the Harding defense, and four did not dent the scoreboard at all. That includes consecutive shutouts against Arkansas-Monticello and Oklahoma Baptist, at one point going 168 consecutive plays without surrendering a point.
Senior outside linebacker Clark Griffin became the fourth Bison player under Mote to win the Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Year award, and he was joined on the First Team All-GAC by defensive end Justin Sobczak, inside linebacker Jordan Mays, defensive tackle Joseph Oluwayemi, cornerback Troy Wiseman, and safety Ty Dugger -- meaning Harding occupied more than half of the all-conference team. Defensive tackle Nii Addy was a Second Team All-GAC honoree, and defensive end Kaden Spencer, cornerback Curtis Jackson, and safety Deion Campbell were Third Team All-GAC selections. Clark and Dugger were also First Team All-Super Region 4 selections, while Sobczak and Wiseman made the Second Team.
Mote arrived to Harding in 1984 and has spent most of his adult life helping the Bisons' football program in nearly every role imaginable. He played quarterback and running back for the club in the mid-to-late 1980s, then returned as offensive backs coach from 19994-99. After spending the 2000 season away, he coached the defensive backs from 2001-04, and then took a coaching job at Harding Academy, the university's affiliated secondary school, serving as head coach from 2008-15. Mote returned as linebackers coach in 2016 and has coordinated the defense since 2017.
Harding head coach Paul Simmons offered, "Roddy is the hardest working and most disciplined guy I have ever been around."
The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by Teamworks are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (Christopher Cash [Albany State], Michael Engle [UIndy], Eric Fargo [Kutztown], Marcel Quarterman [Kutztown], and Mote) were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel. The prior winners selected this year's winner.
Previous winners of the Division II Coordinator of the Year award are Tim Beck (Pittsburg State [Kan.], 2008), Scott Preston (Arkansas Tech, 2009), Ken Collums (Abilene Christian, 2010), Hunter Hughes (Colorado State-Pueblo, 2011), Paul Tortorella (Indiana [Pa.], 2012), Josh Kline (Shepherd [W. Va.], 2013), Rich Wright (Northwest Missouri State, 2014 and 2015), Charlie Flohr (Northwest Missouri State, 2016), Matt Storm (Texas A&M-Commerce, 2017), Donnell Leomiti (Colorado State-Pubelo, 2018), Joe Beschorner (Minnesota State, 2019), Ryan Hodges (Ferris State, 2021), Pete Sterbick (Colorado School of Mines, 2022), Justin Bane (Central Missouri, 2023), and Ryan Hodges and Tony Annese (Ferris State, 2024).
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