UCF Coach Josh Heupel Named Finalist For Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award

By  //  December 6, 2018

winner will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 13

The Football Writers Association of America, in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced eight finalists for the 2018 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award on Wednesday, including UCF’s Josh Heupel. (UCF image)

ORLANDO, FLORIDA (UCF Knights) – The Football Writers Association of America, in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced eight finalists for the 2018 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award on Wednesday, including UCF’s Josh Heupel.

In alphabetical order the finalists are: Bill Clark, UAB; Josh Heupel, UCF; Brian Kelly, Notre Dame; Jeff Monken, Army; Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma; Nick Saban, Alabama; Dabo Swinney, Clemson; and Jeff Tedford, Fresno State.

“It is an outstanding group of coaches,” said 2018 FWAA President Stefanie Loh of the Seattle Times. “Any one of the coaches would make a great choice for our 2018 Coach of the Year. We believe all these men demonstrate the coaching excellence that the award’s namesake, Eddie Robinson, showed on and off the field.”

The 2018 recipient will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 13. The official presentation reception will be on Jan. 5, 2019, in San Jose, Calif., where the winning coach will be handed the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year bust during a reception hosted by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in conjunction with the College Football Playoff National Championship.

“The Allstate Sugar Bowl is proud each year to recognize the top college football coach in the nation while at the same time honoring the great accomplishments of a Louisiana legend, Coach Eddie Robinson,” said Sugar Bowl Committee President Rod West. “And we’re excited to do so again this year when we present the award to this year’s winner.”

The eight finalists have been placed on a ballot which has been sent to the entire FWAA membership. Ballots will be accepted through 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 7.

The FWAA has presented a coaching award since the 1957 season when Ohio State’s Woody Hayes was named the first recipient. The FWAA coaching award is named after the late Robinson, a coaching legend at Grambling State University for 55 seasons.

The former Oklahoma quarterback, who was previously offensive coordinator at Missouri, has the Knights ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 Poll and the Amway Coaches Poll.

In his first season as a head coach in Orlando, Heupel has fashioned a 12-0 record. The Knights have the longest winning streak in the FBS at 25 games and will meet LSU in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl after winning the American Athletic Conference title.

The former Oklahoma quarterback, who was previously offensive coordinator at Missouri, has the Knights ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 Poll and the Amway Coaches Poll.

The Eddie Robinson Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 24 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.

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The Football Writers Association of America, founded in 1941, consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game.

The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.

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