State college football: Coach of the Year Trevor Rubly guided Bacone to 7-3 season

“I guess you could say defense is my forte,” said Rubly, head football coach at Bacone College. “I know the defense can't win without the offense scoring, and I've had to ask our offensive guys to be patient with me. There were times where they felt they needed some love this season. But I am a defense guy.”

Rubly is The Oklahoman's State College All-Star Team Coach of the Year. He guided Bacone to a 7-3 record, one of the best seasons in the program's brief history. The Warriors ripped off a six-game win streak, which included three shutouts. They surrendered just 26 points during a run that helped Bacone recover from a sluggish 1-2 start to the season.

Central Oklahoma running back Joshua Birmingham is the Offensive Player of the Year. East Central defensive end Armonty Bryant is the Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons.

Rubly is being honored for the first time, and he's only been Bacone's head coach for two seasons. The Warriors were 5-6 in 2011, which was kind of a Tilt-a-Whirl season for the team in the first place. Rubly, who had been serving as the NAIA school's defensive coordinator, was quickly elevated to head coach when it was announced Lloyd Spotted Wolf would not return. Bacone was 3-8 in 2010.