The British American Football Coaches Association (BAFCA) celebrated the outstanding achievements of coaches from across the sport at the annual BAFCA Coaching Awards ceremony, held as part of the 2025 BAFCA Convention at Keele University.
Recognising excellence across all formats and levels of the game, the awards showcase the dedication, innovation and leadership of coaches who continue to grow and elevate British American football. This year’s winners were selected from a strong field of shortlisted candidates, each demonstrating exceptional commitment to the development of players, programmes and the sport itself. From grassroots engagement to national titles, the breadth of impact highlighted in this year’s nominations reflects the thriving and ever-evolving coaching community in the UK.
Innovative Coach of the Year
🏆 Ti Ojuyah (South West Trenches, UWE)
Ti Ojuyah has set the standard for defensive innovation in the UK university game, with his UWE unit conceding just 63 points in the regular season. Alongside this, his work with South West Trenches has attracted over 80 unique attendees to camps aimed at improving line play nationally.
Shortlist: Gavin Collins (NFLA), Jack Farr (NFL Academy), Jacob Maxted (EK Mavericks), Ollie Monaghan (Durham Saints)
Futures Coach of the Year
🏆 Emeka Anyaegbu (University of Kent)
In just his first season, Emeka transformed an inexperienced defensive line into a division-winning unit, later stepping into the head coach role and securing back-to-back playoff appearances.
Shortlist: Alex Bartley, Deon Haarhoff, Rian Hudson, Zac Littlewood, Stan Wilson
Engagement Coach of the Year
🏆 Sam Stoddart-Durning (Edinburgh Napier Knights / Team Scotland)
Stoddart-Durning’s youth programme at Edinburgh Napier now includes over 100 players across multiple age groups, and his creation of Team Scotland helped pilot 11-a-side development football nationally.
Shortlist: Marcel Baker, Henrique Baptista-Borgues, Ti Ojuyah, Andy Scott
Women’s Coach of the Year
🏆 Josh Gaff (Birmingham Lions & GB Women)
Gaff was recognised for his work across multiple levels of the women’s game, with nominations citing his leadership and technical depth.
Shortlist: Wayne Hill, Ben Pardey, Chris Stone, Dee Williams
Youth Football Coach of the Year
🏆 Tango Lockwood (Rushmoor Knights / GB U17)
Lockwood led Rushmoor’s U16 and U19 teams to undefeated championship seasons and continues to contribute to the GB U17 setup.
Shortlist: Karl Burgess, Mike Davies, Tam McKendrick, Andy Scott, Sam Stoddart
Flag Coach of the Year
🏆 Jake Defriend (Coventry Panthers)
Defriend guided Coventry to the Women’s Flag Championship after a dramatic double-overtime final, building depth in the programme across two teams.
Shortlist: Kellie Barrett, Nick Keyse, Phil Watson, Neil Wymer
BUCS Coach of the Year
🏆 Geoff Williams (University of Warwick)
Williams led Warwick to a 7-1 season and a Premier Final appearance, building one of the top programmes in the North.
Shortlist: James Kelvin, Pete Laird, Dan Maher, Frankie Pankhurst, Bo Scholes
Adult Contact Coach of the Year
🏆 Tony Allen (London Warriors)
A long-time figure in the British game, Allen guided the Warriors to their seventh title since 2010 while continuing to shape elite-level development.
Shortlist: Grant Dean Lawless, Dave Gibbs, Pete Jones, John Moore
Lifetime Achievement Award
🏆 Andy Sweeney (Loughborough / Tamworth)
Sweeney’s 30+ year coaching career spans university, adult, and national programmes. His influence on the British game includes multiple titles and mentoring several top coaches.
Shortlist: Duncan Burford, Martin Hilton, Pat Snooks
Coaches’ Coach of the Year
🏆 Vanden Warner (Nottingham Caesars)
This peer-voted award was confirmed following votes cast at the BAFCA Convention by attendees.
Shortlist: Marcel Baker, Gavin Collins, Wayne Hill, Pete Jones, James Kelvin, Dan Maher
