Stanford head football coach David Shaw is among eight finalists for the 2013 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, as announced by The Football Writers Association of America. The winner will be revealed Monday Dec. 16.
In alphabetical order the finalists are: Art Briles (Baylor), David Cutcliffe (Duke), Mark Dantonio (Michigan State), Jimbo Fisher (Florida State), Gus Malzahn (Auburn), George O’Leary (UCF), Gary Pinkel (Missouri) and David Shaw (Stanford).
The national coach of the year finalists have been placed on a ballot to be sent to the entire FWAA membership. Ballots will be accepted from the membership through Friday.
The official presentation reception will be Sat., Jan. 4, in Newport Beach, where the winning coach will be given the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
None of the finalists has captured the FWAA coaching award previously. Shaw was a finalist in 2012 and a Stanford head coach has now been among the finalists in three of the past four seasons.
Shaw guided Stanford to an 11-2 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the Pac-12. The Cardinal won its second consecutive conference championship with a 38-14 rout of Arizona State last weekend in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game. Stanford now heads to a second consecutive Rose Bowl Game — its fourth straight BCS bowl — where the Cardinal takes on Michigan State.
The FWAA has honored a major college coach with its coach of the Year award since the 1957 season when Ohio State’s Woody Hayes claimed the honor. Robinson, a coaching legend at Grambling State University, has been the FWAA’s coaching namesake since the 1997 season. The Fiesta Bowl joined with the FWAA a year later as the sponsor of the award.
Robinson, who passed away on April 3, 2007, won 70.7 percent of his games during his illustrious career. Robinson’s teams won or tied for 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championships after joining the league in 1959. His Tigers claimed nine Black College Football Championships during his career spent all at the same school.
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics