BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State’s Greg Gasparato and Bryan Brown have received national recognition as the 2018 FootballScoop Defensive Backs Coaches of the Year.

Presented by AstroTurf, prior winners selected this year’s winners among the only set of college football awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches. App State becomes just the third Group of Five program to be represented among the 11 winners of the defensive back coaches award.

Gasparato and Brown will receive their award and be recognized during the American Football Coaches Association Convention in January. The other finalists were the defensive backs coaches from Mississippi State, Notre Dame and Miami.

With Gasparato coaching App State’s safeties and Brown continuing to coach the cornerbacks as a first-year defensive coordinator in 2018, the Mountaineers (11-2) didn’t give up more than 19 points in any of their wins, all of which had double-digit point differentials.

App State, which ranks fourth nationally at 15.5 points allowed per game, set a Sun Belt Conference record with only 20 defensive touchdowns allowed in 2018 and tied for first place nationally with only eight passing touchdowns allowed.

Led by the “Legion of Boone” secondary, the Mountaineers intercepted 17 passes to rank 11th nationally, with safety Josh Thomas, safety Desmond Franklin and cornerback Tae Hayes picking off four passes apiece. One apiece came from cornerback Clifton Duck, safety Austin Exford and safety Kaiden Smith.

App State also ranks in the top 10 nationally in fourth-down defense (No. 1), defensive passer rating (No. 3), fewest passing yards allowed per game (No. 5), fewest yards allowed per pass attempt (No. 5), fewest total yards allowed per game (No. 6) and fewest first downs allowed (No. 7).

According to FootballScoop, Appalachian State was one of just two teams nationally to have twice as many defensive interceptions as touchdown passes allowed. No opponent had more than one passing touchdown against the Mountaineers, who didn’t give up any in five games.

Appalachian is No. 3 nationally with only eight passes of 30-plus yards allowed and No. 4 with one pass of 50-plus yards allowed — a 57-yard play.

Previous DB coaches winners

2008: Tim Billings (Wake Forest)

2009: Everett Withers and Troy Douglas (North Carolina)

2010: Chad Glasgow and Clay Jennings (TCU)

2011: Ron Cooper (LSU)

2012: Bill Busch and Kendrick Shaver (Utah State)

2013: Jeremy Pruitt (Florida State)

2014: Dave Wommack and Jason Jones (Ole Miss)

2015: Mike Reed (Clemson)

2016: Charles Clark and Joe Tumpkin (Colorado)

2017: Anthony Campanile (Boston College)