By Steven J. Gaither
Two men that followed directly in the footsteps of Eddie Robinson are now in the running for the award named after him. Grambling State’s Broderick Fobbs and North Carolina A&T’s Rod Broadway have both been announced as finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award according to The Sports Network.
Given annually to the top coach in FCS football, the award is named after the long-time Grambling State football coach. The winner will be announced Dec. 15 at TSN’s FCS Awards Banquet.
Broadway has led North Carolina A&T to a 7-2 record and at least a share of the MEAC Championship, the school’s first since 2003. A&T can clinch the outright MEAC title and the conference’s automatic FCS playoff bid with a win against rival NC Central on Saturday. Broadway coached at Grambling from 2007-2010 before leaving to take the job in Greensboro. He won a SWAC title in 2008.
Fobbs has led Grambling to a 7-4 record in his first season as head coach. Grambling is currently tied for first place with Southern in the SWAC West after winning just two games in the last two seasons. A win over Southern would give Grambling a division title and send the team into the SWAC Championship Game against Alcorn State.
The last coach from an HBCU to win the award was Prairie View’s Henry Frazier back in 2010.
Update: Morgan State’s Lee Hull has been added as a finalist for the Robinson Award, the school announced today. Hull led Morgan State to a 7-5 record in his first season, including a share of the MEAC. The rookie coach led Morgan to its first conference title since 1979 and will coach the program in its first Division I playoff game on Saturday against the Richmond Spiders.