PHILADELPHIA -
Bethune-Cookman University head football coach Brian Jenkins has been named a
finalist for this year's Eddie Robinson Award. The award is presented annually
to the national coach of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision
(FCS) by The Sports Network.
All 13 FCS
conferences have at least one coach on the list.
A panel of about
160 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and
other dignitaries will select the Robinson Award winner.
Voting will
reflect only the regular season and conclude before the FCS playoffs begin
Saturday. The winner will be announced on Dec. 17 at the FCS Awards Banquet and
Presentation in Philadelphia.
"Obviously, this
is an extreme honor to be named a finalist for an award of this magnitude,"
expressed Brian Jenkins on Monday afternoon. "This award not only shows the
hard work of a head coach, his staff and players throughout the year, but also
the hard work and dedication of a man for whom the award is named.
"Not only was
Eddie Robinson an inspiration to me, but he paved the way for African-American coaches
like myself and many more to reach new heights in the college football coaching
ranks. Again, it's such an honor to be named a finalist for this award."
Under the guide
of Jenkins, now in his third year at the helm of the B-CU program, the Wildcats
captured the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship,
finishing the year 8-0 in league play and 9-2 overall. The Wildcats earned the
league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs and will host Big South champion Coastal
Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m.
The other
finalists for the 2012 Eddie Robinson Award include the following: Dino Babers
(Eastern Illinois); Beau Baldwin (Eastern Washington); Dick Biddle (Colgate);
Craig Bohl (North Dakota State); Monte Coleman (Arkansas-Pine Bluff); Clint
Conque (Central Arkansas); Walt Hameline (Wagner); Kevin Higgins (The Citadel);
Joe Moglia (Coastal Carolina); Joe Moorhead (Fordham); Karl Morgan (Mississippi
Valley State); Chuck Priore (Stony Brook); Danny Rocco (Richmond); Jason
Simpson (UT Martin); Brock Spack (Illinois State); Bob Surace (Princeton) Andy
Talley (Villanova); Jeff Voris (Butler); Tim Walsh (Cal Poly).
For all the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats,
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