Gary Muntean, one of The College of Wooster's all-time great quarterbacks, was named to the North Coast Athletic Conference's 40th Anniversary All-Decade Team on Tuesday.
The 2017 Mike Gregory Award winner as the NCAC's Offensive Player of the Year rewrote the program's record book during his career. Muntean graduated as the program's all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns with 8,295 and 65, respectively, with the touchdowns breaking a program record that had stood for nearly two decades. His 637 passing completions were the second-most upon graduation, while his 145.60 career efficiency points still stands atop the program leaderboard.
As a senior, Muntean was elevated from honorable mention to first-team all-conference and led the NCAC in nearly every passing category. He completed 220-of-337 pass attempts for 3,165 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior, with the yards and touchdowns ranking at the top of the single-season record book at the College. The completions and attempts trailed only his 2016 single-season program records. Muntean's 65.3 completion percentage and 172.3 passing efficiency points were league-bests in 2017, as well as single-season program records. Muntean's 3,556 yards of total offense as a senior were a career-high and he logged five games with at least four passing touchdowns and seven games with at least four total touchdowns that year.
Muntean broke out as a sophomore at Kenyon College, entering in relief of an injured starter on the game's first drive. He went on to throw for 401 yards in the game, marking the first 400-yard game by a Wooster quarterback since 2005. After completing 29-of-42 passes for four touchdowns and scampering in from 2 yards out with :44 remaining for the go-ahead score, Muntean earned NCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He was even more impressive the following week at Hiram College, setting the school records for total plays (84), total offensive yards (482), completions (37), passing attempts (55), and passing yards (488).
As an all-conference quarterback as a junior, Muntean set Wooster single-season records in total offensive yards (3,140), offensive plays (516), passing yards (2,940), completions (234), and attempts (386). He tied Wooster's single-game record with five passing touchdowns versus Hiram, which marked the most by a Scot since 2009. Muntean opened the year with three straight 300-yard passing games, upping a run that dated back to the 2015 season to six.
Muntean still holds the top four marks in program history for offensive plays in a game, the top two marks for plays in a season, and ranked second upon graduation with 1,419 offensive plays. Upon graduation, Muntean had five of the top six single-game offensive yard totals and the top two season marks. His 13 300-yard passing games are the most in program history and he had three of the top four single-game marks upon graduation.
Muntean was the third Scot to earn the Mike Gregory Award and the first since W Association Hall of Famer Tony Sutton in 2003 and 2004. Additionally, Muntean joined W Association Hall of Famer Rich Judd (1997) as the only first-team All-NCAC quarterbacks in program history.
A Mike Gregory Award selection, a Hank Critchfield Award selection, or at least three first-team All-NCAC honors at the same position between 2013 and 2022 were the eligibility criteria for the NCAC 40th Anniversary All-Decade Team.