Lehigh University Athletics
Andy Coen once again named a finalist for Eddie Robinson Award
11/21/2011 3:57:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – For the second straight year, Lehigh head coach Andy Coen has been named as one of 20 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the FCS National Coach of the Year. Coen guided the Mountain Hawks to a 10-1 regular season in 2011, as Lehigh captured its second straight Patriot League title, cracked the top ten of the national rankings and earned a bye into the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
Now in his sixth season, Coen has led the Mountain Hawks to back-to-back undefeated Patriot League seasons as Lehigh became the first league team to win consecutive outright league titles since the Brown and White accomplished the feat in 2000 and 2001. Lehigh is 10-0 against the Patriot League over the last two regular seasons and has won its last 14 games against league teams dating back to the 2009 season. The Mountain Hawks enter the playoffs on a nine game winning streak, the longest for the program since Lehigh won its first 11 games in 2001. Coen has now won or shared Patriot League titles in three of his first six seasons at Lehigh.
The Eddie Robinson Award, which is sponsored by Fathead.com, is in its 25th season and is presented at the national awards banquet on Friday, January 6 in Frisco, Texas prior to the National Championship game the following day.
A panel of approximately 175 sports information directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the Robinson Award winner. Coen was a finalist last year and finished seventh in the voting. He will look to become Lehigh's first winner of the award since Pete Lembo won the award in 2001. Of the 20 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, only Coen was a finalist in both 2010 and 2011.
The sixth-ranked Mountain Hawks earned a bye into the second round of the FCS Playoffs, where Lehigh will meet Towson, on Saturday, December 3 at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Maryland. Kickoff time for that contest is still to be determined.
Finalists for the 2011 Eddie Robinson Award
Pete Adrian, Norfolk State
Rob Ambrose, Towson
Craig Bohl, North Dakota State
Watson Brown, Tennesee Tech
Nigel Burton, Portland State
Ron Caragher, San Diego
Andy Coen, Lehigh
Clint Conque, Central Arkansas
Chris Creighton, Drake
Bob Ford, Albany
Willie Fritz, Sam Houston State
Gary Harrell, Howard
Anthony Jones, Alabama A&M
Kevin Kelly, Georgetown
Jeff Monken, Georgia Southern
Tim Murphy, Harvard
Chris Mussman, North Dakota
Robin Pflugrad, Montana
Chuck Priore, Stony Brook
Bobby Wilder, Old Dominion
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