SAN DIEGO – After San Diego captured its sixth straight PFL championship, head coach Dale Lindsey and punter Tanner Kuljian were named PFL Coach of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year, respectively, as the league office announced its end-of-the-year major awards.
 
A national coach of the year finalist and three-time winner of the PFL coach of the year honor, Lindsey led the Toreros to an undefeated conference record for the fourth straight year – a league-first – and guided them to their sixth straight championship and fourth consecutive FCS Playoffs appearance. USD was top-three in the conference in scoring offense (2nd) and defense (2nd), total offense (1st) and defense (3rd), and turnover margin (1st).
 
In conference games, the Toreros outscored their PFL opponents 359-141 and won by average score of nearly four touchdowns with extra points (27.3). They trailed for less than 25 minutes combined in the eight games.
 
Lindsey, the second winningest active coach in the FCS, is 53-3 (.946) in his PFL career (28-0 at home) and has lifted the Toreros to six PFL titles in seven years at the helm. He has helped them win 37-straight conference games, the second-longest streak in FCS history and longest active streak in all of Division I. The 53 wins, meanwhile, are the third-most in PFL history.
 
A redshirt junior out of Temecula, Calif., Kuljian led all PFL punters with an average punt of 40.6 yards in conference-only games. For the entire season, he averaged 40.1 yards on 38 punts, half of which ended in fair catches while 12 were pinned inside the 20-yard line. He had six punts of over 50 yards, including a season-long of 60.
 
In addition to his punting duties, Kuljian was 2-of-3 in field goals for the entire season, with his only miss being of 50+ yards, and had 45 touchbacks on his 82 kickoffs.
 
It is the second year in a row a Torero has been named PFL Special Teams Player of the Year. Last season, kick returner Michael Armstead earned the honor.
 
Following Monday's major award announcements, the PFL will release the All-PFL teams on Tuesday, Scholar Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, and Academic All-PFL teams on Thursday.
 
2019 PFL Individual Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year: Adam Trautman, Dayton
Defensive Player of the Year: Colby Duncan, Stetson
Special Teams Player of the Year: Tanner Kuljian, San Diego
Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: Jalen Leary, Stetson
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Ethan Hull, Jacksonville
Coach of the Year: Dale Lindsey, San Diego
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: To be announced, Wednesday