AMHERST, Mass. – Head Coach E.J. Mills was named the NESCAC Football Coach of the Year, and 10 other members of the Amherst College football team received recognition on the 2014 NESCAC All-Conference teams, as announced Tuesday.

Mills helped guide the Jeffs to a perfect 8-0 season for the third time in six seasons (2009, 2011, 2014) as Amherst claimed the NESCAC Championship outright. During Mills' 18-year tenure, the Jeffs have compiled an unprecedented 109-35 record with five conference titles. His .757 winning percentage is first in Amherst history as he grabs his third Coach of the Year award.

Earning First Team Offense recognition for the Jeffs were senior tri-captain and right tackle Scott Mergner, and senior wide receiver Gene Garay. Mergner and Garay were pivotal members of the Amherst offense that amassed 30 or more points in four of the team's eight games. Mergner, the leader and anchor of the offensive line, paved the way for the Purple & White's ground game that ranked third in the NESCAC in rushing yards (144.0 yards per game). The formidable unit, which has excelled under Offensive Line coach and now Offensive Coordinator Matt Ballard for the past 11 years, allowed just 12 sacks in eight games.

Garay led the Jeffs talented receiving corps. The dynamic senior earned his second all-conference selection after earning second team praise as a junior. In 2014, he ranked in the top-10 in every receiving category in the NESCAC. He ranked third in the league in catches (39), fifth in yards (441), fifth in yards per game (55.1), eighth in yards per catch (11.3), and 10th in touchdowns (3). Garay also rushed for an 18-yard touchdown. At Wesleyan, he pulled in nine catches for a career-high 99 yards.

Four members of Amherst's stout defense received praise on the first team. The unit boasted the league's top scoring defense, which allowed a paltry 8.9 points per game, and was led by senior tri-captains Ned Deane and Chris Tamasi, senior defensive end Max Lehrman, and junior cornerback Jaymie Spears. Deane, an inside linebacker and signal caller, led the team in tackles and ranked third in the league with 76 (37 solo, 39 assists). He averaged 9.5 per game, to rank third in the league, and posted double-digit numbers in four games. Deane also recorded two interceptions and returned one 19 yards for a touchdown against Colby.

Tamasi, an outside linebacker, spent most of his time in the opponent's backfield. The Canton, Mass. native tied for first in the league with five sacks and finished second in tackles-for-loss with 14 for 48 yards. A 2013 first team honoree, Tamasi finished his senior campaign with 62 tackles for the second consecutive season. His 37 solo were ninth most in the league, while his 7.8 tackles per game ranked 11th. He also forced three fumbles and recovered one. Against Tufts, he recorded five tackles-for-loss for 24 yards, and forced two fumbles. He was named the NESCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Williams in which he recorded eight tackles, 1.5 for a loss, half a sack, and a blocked extra-point attempt on the Ephs' late fourth quarter touchdown to make it an eight-point margin.

Lehrman also received his second consecutive all-conference award. The 2013 first team recipient remained a force on the defensive line this season and ranked third in the league in sacks for the second year in a row. He totaled 4.5 on the year and added 23 tackles, including seven for a loss. He also a forced a fumble this season and recorded three sacks in one game against Tufts.

The Jeffs led the league in interceptions for the second-straight season and were led by Spears in the secondary. The junior picked off the opposition six times to rank second in the conference. He was named NESCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week once this season and totaled 39 tackles (28 solo, 11 assists). He also broke up eight passes, including four against Tufts, and blocked two field goals.

Senior placekicker Phillip Nwosu also received his second first team all-conference laurel. The top-kicker in the league a year ago was honored again this fall. He ranked second in the NESCAC with seven made field goals and his 41-yard attempt against Wesleyan was the second longest in the league. Nwosu also made 20 point-after-attempts to total 41 points. His performance against the Cardinals was historic, as he broke the all-time Amherst record with four made field goals in a game. He finished 4-for-4 and 3-for-3 on extra points, including the 41-yarder to send the game into overtime and a 35-yarder to win the game. He was named the NESCAC Special Teams Player of the Week, ECAC Division III Northeast Special Teams Player of the Week, and the New England Football Writers Association Div. II/III Gold Helmet award winner for his performance.

Three more Jeffs earned second team praise; sophomore running back Nick Kelly, senior left guard Colman Duggan, and sophomore nose guard Paul Johnson. Kelly had a breakout season for the Jeffs. He finished the year ranked third among league leaders in yards (585) and yards per game (73.1), with a league-high 4.8 yards per rush. Kelly fumbled just once on 121 rushes and found the back of the endzone five times, fourth most in the league. The sophomore put together a three-game stretch in which he racked up 373 yards and four touchdowns. He ran for 100-plus yards in each game and scored three times at Wesleyan. Helping him find the gaps was Duggan, who played a pivotal role on the left side of the line this season.

Earning Second Team Defense honors was Johnson, who did a terrific job from the nose guard position. The sophomore finished fourth in the league in sacks (4), getting to the opposing quarterback in each of the first four games. He was a key member in the front seven, in which the Jeffs finished second in the league in sacks with 21.