TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Following one of the best football seasons at Northeastern State in more than 20 years, head coach Darrin Chiaverini was honored by The CFB Network as its Division II Coach of the Year.

In just his second season leading the NSU football program, Chiaverini engineered one of the largest turnarounds in college football and delivered one of the top seasons in RiverHawks history. After laying the groundwork for improvement in 2024, Chiaverini guided NSU to a 9-3 record in 2025 and a First Americans Bowl championship. The nine-win campaign marked the program's largest year-to-year improvement since the 1994 national championship season and its most wins since 2000.

The 2025 season reset expectations, shattered records and re-established Northeastern State as a rising force at the regional and national levels. The RiverHawks finished the year ranked No. 24.

NSU set school records for total points (483), touchdowns (65) and points per game (40.3), outscoring opponents by 282 points during the season. The RiverHawks closed the year on a seven-game winning streak, outscoring opponents by 255 points during that stretch and capping the season with a 56-21 victory over East Central in the inaugural First Americans Bowl.

Under Chiaverini's leadership, NSU developed one of the nation's most explosive and balanced offenses while fielding one of the most opportunistic defenses in program history.