Holy Cross football head coach Bob Chesney has been named the 2021 Jack Grinold Division I Coach of the Year, the New England Football Writers' Association has announced, while sophomore quarterback Matthew Sluka has earned the season Gold Helmet award from the organization.

This season, Chesney led the Crusaders to their third consecutive Patriot League title and FCS playoff berth during the 2021 season, with Holy Cross winning its first FCS playoff game in program history. Holy Cross owns a 10-2 record this year and went an undefeated 6-0 record in conference play, finishing a full conference slate undefeated for the first time since the 1991 season; the six conference wins are the most in program history. The Crusaders have won 11 straight games in conference play. In non-league play, Holy Cross defeated an FBS opponent in the University of Connecticut, along with recording victories at Yale and Monmouth. Chesney, who has been named the Patriot League's Coach of the Year twice in the last three seasons, was also named a finalist for the 2021 Eddie Robinson Award, presented to the national coach of the year at the FCS level.

The Division I Gold Helmet award, which is presented to the most valuable player across all Division I programs in New England, was awarded to Sluka. This season, Sluka led the Crusaders with 13 rushing touchdowns and 762 yards on the ground, while also passing for 11 more touchdowns and 1,343 passing yards. Sluka had four total touchdowns to help guide Holy Cross to a victory over Fordham to clinch the team's third straight Patriot League title, throwing for a career-high 272 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the air and rushing for 104 yards and another two touchdowns on the ground. In the Crusaders' playoff victory over Sacred Heart on Nov. 27, Sluka threw a game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds remaining.

Four Crusaders earned All-New England honors from the NEFW earlier this week: junior linebacker Jacob Dobbs, senior defensive lineman Benton Whitley, senior defensive back John Smith and senior offensive lineman John Brekke.

All the award recipients will be honored at the New England Football Writers Captains and Awards Banquet presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts of the National Football Foundation on Thursday, December 9.