NEW YORK — Columbia football's coaching staff received Ivy League Coaching Staff of the Year honors, as announced by the conference at the Bushnell Cup Ceremony on Monday.

Under the direction of first-year head coach Jon Poppe, the Lions clinched their second Ivy League Championship, the first since 1961. With a 7-3 overall record and a 5-2 conference play, he set a new record for the most league victories for a first-year head coach at Columbia.

Columbia's defense, anchored by defensive coordinator Justin Stovall, was one of the best in the nation, allowing 16.1 points per game – good for No. 2 in FCS. Offensive coordinator Seitu Smith helped Columbia have a turnaround season on the other side of the ball. The Lions racked up 3,930 yards of total offense, the second-highest total in program history.

The Lions started the season with an upset victory over No. 14/18 Lafayette and started Ivy League play 2-0 before injuries began to pile up. Columbia used three different starters at quarterback but still won three of its final four contests to earn a share of the Ivy League crown.

Columbia received votes in the national polls six weeks during the season and had eight student-athletes earn Ivy League Weekly honors on the year. Individually, the Lions had a program record of 14 student-athletes who gained All-Ivy League status.

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