The 150th season of college football is underway and with it another year of the partnership between Amway, USA TODAY and the American Football Coaches Association.
That means another year of seeing where your favorite team lands in the weekly Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports. And another year of waiting to see who will earn the coveted AFCA Coaches’ Trophy presented by Amway.
Coaching is key in sports, business
The partnership represents Amway’s continued commitment to #inspiredcoaching as it shares wisdom from the sport’s great coaches, translating lessons from the gridiron into strategies for business.
“In the Amway business, as in football or other team sports, inspired coaching drives success,” said Jim Ayres, managing director of Amway North America. “Amway Independent Business Owners are driven by the same passion that drives college football coaches across the country: They’re focused on building winning teams, encouraging leadership and inspiring others.”
Clemson University head football coach Dabo Swinney lifts the iconic Waterford Crystal football from the AFCA Coaches’ Trophy presented by Amway during the team’s 2019 national championship celebration. The trophy has been awarded to the national champion and No. 1 team in the Amway Coaches Poll since 1986. Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Examples of #inspiredcoaching on USAToday.com
Readers can see that inspired coaching through Amway-sponsored stories, videos and infographics on USAToday.com featuring college coaches and Amway IBOs sharing winning strategies they’ve learned over the years.
You can listen to Florida Gators Coach Dan Mullens talk about how much he enjoys mentoring the young people on his team.
“They are going to become the 21-, 22-year-old successes that are going to help us win championships and really be positive role models for everybody in the community” he said.
On the receiving end, read how important mentoring was to the success of Amway IBO Vicky Gomez.
“Mentorship is huge,” she said. “I could not have built this business without a mentor. We have several mentors for our business, but there’s one we see every single month: We strategize together; we set goals.”
Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Oakland Raider Tim Brown poses with fans and the Amway Coaches Poll National Championship Trophy before the Notre Dame Fighting Irish play against the Louisville Cardinals at Cardinal Stadium. Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Coaches’ Trophy on tour
The partnership also brings the opportunity to see the AFCA Coaches’ Trophy presented by Amway with the iconic Waterford Crystal football on top. Fans can see the trophy at select games throughout the season along with former college players and coaches who will be happy to snap a picture with them. Here are the scheduled tour stops so far:
- Sept. 14: Clemson vs. Syracuse in Syracuse, New York
- Sept. 21: UCLA vis. Washington State in Pullman, Washington
- Sept. 28: Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma
- Oct. 12: Washington State vs. Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona
- Oct. 18: OSU vs. Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois
- Oct. 19: Michigan vs. Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania
Keep up with the latest Amway Coaches Poll activity at Amway.com and watch for more #inspiredcoaching content at on Amway Connections.
