Waco, Texas - For the third time in his career and the first time since 2012, Marian football head coach Ted Karras Jr. has been named as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2025 NAIA Region II Coach of the Year. Karras was a back-to-back winner of the award in 2011 and 2012.

The Knights are 10-1 this season with an outright MSFA Midwest League title and the program's 13th trip to the NAIA Football Championship Series, with Karras leading Marian into the Second Round this Saturday. Karras' leadership of the Knights has been strong in his return to the program, with the head coach guiding Marian to a 27-5 record over the past three years. This season, Marian posted a 5-0 record in MSFA Midwest League play, going 10-0 overall against Mid-States foes this year. Marian has defeated four ranked opponents this season, and enters the postseason riding a 10-game win streak.

Under Karras' direction, Marian has had a balanced offensive attack that ranks top-10 in the NAIA, while ranking in the top-20 in the NAIA in scoring defense, pitching three shutouts against MSFA competition. Marian's defense leads the NAIA in interceptions this season with 21, while ranking first among active teams in the NAIA FCS with 36 on the year. Karras saw his program earn a total of 23 MSFA Midwest League honors in the league's release of the awards last week, while the head coach was named as the MSFA Midwest League Coach of the Year.

Karras will be honored at the American Football Coaches Awards on Monday, January 12, during the 2026 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA. The winners are selected by Active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.

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