ST. LOUIS -- After leading Drake University to its first Pioneer Football League title since 2012, head coach Todd Stepsis was selected by his peers as their unanimous selection for Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year. In addition, Drake defensive lineman Finn Claypool and kicker Shane Dunning were the PFL Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Year, respectively. That trio of Drake honorees leads the list of the league's major award winners as selected by the PFL's head coaches presented Monday (Nov. 27).
Stepsis, a Shelby, Ohio native, led Drake to its first PFL Championship since the 2012 season and to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The Bulldogs finished the 2023 season unbeaten in PFL play and extended their conference winning streak to 11 games. Drake's 8-3 regular-season record was a complete turnaround from last season's 3-8 mark, which took winning the final three games of the season – all in PFL play – to reach. The Bulldogs defense held their eight PFL opponents to 97 points (12.1 ppg) and ranked 32nd among FCS teams, allowing just 22.6 points per game during the regular season. Stepsis becomes the first Drake head coach to win the league's Coach of the Year award since three-time PFL Coach of the Year Rob Ash won the north division's honor in 2004.
Claypool, a Des Moines, Iowa product, becomes the second student-athlete in league history to follow up a Freshman Defensive Player of the Year campaign by winning the league's Defensive Player of the Year award the following year. He joins Stetson defensive back Donald Payne, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, to accomplish the feat. Claypool helped Drake win the 2023 PFL Championship behind a 57-tackle campaign that included 19.0 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and two pass breakups. He finished the regular season ranked second among FCS defenders in sacks and is fifth in tackles for loss. In his first two seasons with his hometown team, he has amassed 33.5 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks.
Dunning, from Muskego, Wisconsin, handled kicking and punting duties for the Bulldogs this season. He finished with 15 field goals made, including a league-leading 14 field goals in PFL play, and finished the season with 70 points after adding 22 PATs. Dunning averaged 37.96 yards per punt in all games, with a league-leading 25 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. He finished the regular season ranked among the FCS Top 12 in field-goal percentage (9th, 83.3 percent) and field goals per game (11th, 1.36 per game). Dunning is the first Drake student-athlete to win the league's special teams award since placekicker Josh Lee in 2016.
All-PFL teams will be announced on Tuesday (Nov. 28).
