Head coach Paul Petrino is a finalist for the AFCA's Comeback Coach of the Year after leading the Idaho Vandals to an 8-4 regular-season record and a berth in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
 
Petrino is joined as a finalist by Eastern Michigan's Chris Creighton and Colorado's Mike McIntyre.
 
In 2013, Petrino took over a program that had gone 3-21 in the previous two seasons. While his first two teams didn't show the on-field progress he had in mind (1-11 in 2013 and 1-10 in 2014, the Vandals were making progress elsewhere. By 2015, they went 4-8 with three losses by a touchdown or less to set the stage for the 2016 campaign.
 
As he rebuilt the team on the field, he also was doing it in the classroom. Since his taking over the program, the Vandals' grade-point average increased from a 2.23 to a 2.88 and their APR soared by more than 100 points.
 
The AFCA said the award will be "given to a head coach who faced significant obstacles or adversity in the past or current season, but led his team to a great season despite the adversity." The winner will be announced at the AFCA Awards Show, which will air on the CBS Sports Network (channel 221 on DirecTV) at 6 p.m. PT, Jan. 10, 2017, at the AFCA Convention at the Grand Ole Opry House.