JONESBORO, Ark. (1/12/16) – The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced Tuesday that Arkansas State head football coach Blake Anderson has been elected to the organization's Board of Trustees.

The announcement was made during the AFCA's 2016 national convention currently taking place in San Antonio, Texas. Anderson will now become the first A-State head coach to ever serve on the Board of Trustees that formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. The AFCA has more than 11,000 members from all levels of the profession.

Anderson is joined by Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo, Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema, Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen and Richmond head coach Danny Rocco as the board's newest members. The group was elected by AFCA members attending the national convention.

“This is a great honor, but with it comes a great responsibility to my peers and to the game of football,” said Anderson. “This is an incredible opportunity to give back to a sport that has given so much to me, and I'm looking forward to serving the AFCA in this new role.

“I'm grateful for the time I spent as a player under Coach (Grant) Teaff, one of the all-time great football minds, and the resulting close relationship we maintained during his time as the Association's executive director that has given me additional perspective on the impact the AFCA continues to have on college football today.”

Anderson, a 15-year coaching veteran at the NCAA FBS level who also coached in an NJCAA National Championship game, was named the Red Wolves' 30th all-time head football coach on Dec. 19, 2013. He recently completed his second season at Arkansas State, leading the Red Wolves to a 9-4 overall record, an appearance in the New Orleans Bowl and a Sun Belt Conference championship with an unblemished 8-0 league mark.

During his two years at the helm of the program, he has seen 20 of his players earn 26 All-Sun Belt Conference selections – the most in the league over that span. He is the only head coach in school history to direct A-State to 16 wins in 26 or fewer games.

Returning members of the AFCA Board of Trustees include incoming president Lee Owens of Ashland University; first vice-president Rich Rodriguez of the University of Arizona; second vice-president Bill Cronin of Georgetown College and third vice-president Frank Solich of Ohio University.

Also serving on the Board in 2016: Mike Riley, University of Nebraska; Gary Patterson, TCU; David Bailiff, Rice University; Mark Richt, University of Miami (Fla.); Pete Fredenburg, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor; Turner Gill, Liberty University; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern University; Craig Bohl, University of Wyoming; Bronco Mendenhall, University of Virginia; Todd Knight, Ouachita Baptist University; David Cutcliffe, Duke University; Jeff McMartin, Central College (Iowa); Bobby Kennedy, University of Iowa, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Van Malone, Southern Methodist University, ex officio member and chairman of the Minority Issues Committee; and Sam Knopik, The Pembroke Hill School (Mo.), ex officio member and chairman of the High School Committee. New AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.