Leipold had previously earned D3football.com Coach of the Year and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors for 2011.

Leipold directed the Warhawks to a 15-0 mark in 2011.  Along the way UW-W won its record-setting seventh straight WIAC title, advanced through four rounds of playoffs to reach the NCAA III championship game (the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl), and won the school's third consecutive national title.

Whitewater has advanced to the Stagg Bowl all five seasons under Leipold, with the Warhawks claiming the national crown four times.  Whitewater owns the longest win streak in college football --- at any level, at 45 consecutive wins.  That string is the fifth longest in the history of NCAA football, again at any level.  UW-W will enter 2012 just two wins short of number four on the list, accumulated by the University of Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson from 1953 to 1957.

The Warhawk head coach has earned national coach of the year honors in each of his five seasons at UW-Whitewater.  In 2010 Leipold was the AFCA Division III Coach of the Year, the Fieldturf Division III Coach of the Year, the American Football Monthly Division III Coach of the Year, the D3football.com Coach of the Year, and the WIAC Football Coach of the Year.  In 2009 he collected honors from the WIAC, the AFCA, D3football.com, and Fieldturf.  In 2008 he was tabbed by D3football.com, and in 2007 Fieldturf, D3football.com, the AFCA, and Schutt Sports all recognized Leipold.