In 2009, the Jacksonville University football team won their first Pioneer Football League championship. The team was coached by Kerwin Bell, who had played quarterback for the University of Florida in the 1980s before going on to a professional career in the NFL and CFL. Under Bell’s leadership, the Jacksonville Dolphins finished the regular season with a record of 9-3 and went undefeated in conference play. They then defeated the Dayton Flyers in the championship game to claim the Pioneer Football League title. The team was led by quarterback Josh McGregor, who was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, and linebacker Frantz Joseph, who was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. The 2009 championship was the first of three Pioneer Football League championships won by the Jacksonville University football team, with the others coming in 2010 and 2014.