LEBANON, Tenn.--Cumberland Head Coach
Tim Mathis was named Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year, Offensive Coordinator
Bobby Brown earned Assistant Coach of the Year honors, and Running Back
Jacob Cornejo was named the Offensive Freshman of the Year, announced today with the release of All-Conference honors.
Seventh-year head coach Tim Mathis was named the Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year. Coach Mathis led the Phoenix to a 7-3 record in 2024, the best-record during his tenure at Cumberland. The seven-win season was the first time the team had seven wins since 2017. Cumberland also reached as high as No. 22 in the rankings while being ranked or receiving votes in four polls this season, their first time in the Top 25 since 2018. The Phoenix were also in contention to make the playoffs this season, a feat that has not happened since the 1993 season.
Coach Mathis is the first Cumberland head football coach to earn Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year honors. Dewayne Alexander earned NAIA Region I Coach of the Year and Tennessee Sports Writers' Association Coach of the Year honors in 2010 as the last coach to earn honors of the sort.
Second-year offensive coordinator Bobby Brown was named the Mid-South Conference Assistant Coach of the Year. Coach Brown orchestrated an offense that put up 32.1 points per game this season. The offense averaged 400.5 yards per game, a mark that the Phoenix have not reached since 2017. The Phoenix ran for 253.7 yards per game this season, fourth-best in the NAIA and also threw for 1,468 yards this season. Cumberland scored 44 touchdowns this year in total.
Freshman running back Jacob Cornejo was recognized as the Mid-South Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year. Cornejo came in and made himself a force to be reckoned with over the next few seasons. Cornejo ran for 538 yards this season and the crazy stat of his line is that he did not lose a yard this season. He played in eight games during his rookie campaign averaging 67.3 yards per game, 7.6 yards per carry, and scored five touchdowns. He ran for 100 or more yards three times this season: versus St. Andrews, versus Florida Memorial, and at Faulkner.
He is the second Cumberland freshman to earn the honor joining Aaron Davis from a season ago, but the first on the offensive side of the ball. Cornejo was also recognized as a Second Team All-Conference member.
