Eddie Gay Robinson Sr. was an American football coach. For 56 years, from 1941 to 1942 and again from 1945 to 1997, he was the head coach at Grambling State University, a historically black university (HBCU) in Grambling, Louisiana. Robinson is recognized by many college football experts as one of the greatest coaches of all time. During a period in college football history when black players were not allowed to play for southern college programs, Robinson built Grambling State into a "small" college football powerhouse. He retired in 1997 with a record of 408–165–15. Robinson coached every single game from the field and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Robinson is arguably the most successful college football coach in FCS history and has the third most victories in college football history.
Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium is a 19,600-seat multi-purpose stadium in Grambling, Louisiana. It opened in 1983 and is home to the Grambling State Tigers football team and Grambling High School Kittens football team. The stadium is named in honor of famous Grambling State University head football coach, Eddie Robinson. It replaced Grambling Stadium. The stadium is oftentimes affectionately referred to as "The Hole" due to the topography of the stadium area.
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of coaching football," and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football and coaching." The AFCA, along with USA Today, is responsible for the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Coaches Poll. The AFCA is also responsible for the Top 25 poll for Division II and Division III football.
The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. The award was established by The Sports Network, since merged into Stats Perform, in 1987 and is voted upon by the division's sports information directors and selected sports writers. The award is named for Eddie Robinson, the College Football Hall of Fame coach, who retired in 1997 after 56 years at Grambling State University.
John Stiegelmeier is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at South Dakota State University from 1997 to 2022, compiling a record of 199–112. In his final season, he led the 2022 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team to the NCAA Division I Football Championship title, the first national title in South Dakota State Jackrabbits football program history.
Thomas B. Cahill was an American football player and coach who served as the head coach at the United States Military Academy from 1966 to 1973 and at Union College in Schenectady, New York, from 1976 to 1979, compiling a career college football record of 51–59–3.
Andrew J. Talley is a retired American football coach. He served as the head football coach at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York from 1979 to 1983 and Villanova University from 1985 to 2016, compiling a career college football coaching record of 257–155–2. Talley was hired by Villanova in 1984 to revive the Wildcats football program, which had been dormant since 1980. In 1997, he won the AFCA Coach of the Year Award and the Eddie Robinson Award. Talley led his 2009 Villanova team to an NCAA Division I Football Championship. He is a 1967 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, where he played college football as a defensive back. Talley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2020.
Eddie Robinson Jr. is an American football coach and former player.
The 2009 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was the 80th season of play for the Mountaineers. The team was led by Jerry Moore, the 2006 Eddie Robinson Award winner for Coach of the Year. Moore is in his 21st season as head coach. The Mountaineers played their home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina.
The Nicholls Colonels football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Nicholls State University located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southland Conference. Nicholls' first football team was fielded in 1972. The team plays its home games at the 10,500 seat Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The Colonels are coached by Tim Rebowe.
The Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year Award is an award that is given annually to NCAA college football's national coach of the year. The Sporting News established the award beginning in 1963.
Sean Patrick McDonnell is a retired college football coach and former player, best known for his tenure as head football coach at the University of New Hampshire.
William John Russo was an American football coach. He served as the head football at Wagner College from 1978 to 1980 and at Lafayette College from 1981 to 1999. In 23 seasons as a head coach, Russo compiled a 118–113–4 overall record. In 1988, 1992 and 1994 Russo coached the Lafayette Leopards to outright Patriot League conference titles. Russo received the Eddie Robinson Award in 1988, which is given annually to the nation's top coach in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Russo's 103 wins at Lafayette are the most of any head coach in the program's history.
Anthony "Paul Reno is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Yale University, a position he has held since 2012.
The 2013 Mercer Bears football team represented Mercer University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Bobby Lamb and played their home games at the Moye Complex. They were a member of the Pioneer Football League (PFL). This was Mercer's first year sponsoring football since 1941. This was also their only season as a member of the PFL as they joined the Southern Conference in 2014. They finished the season 10–2 overall and 6–2 in conference play, placing third in the PFL.
The 1997 Villanova Wildcats football team represented Villanova University during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. It was the program's 100th season and they finished as Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) champions after posting a perfect 8–0 record in conference play. The Wildcats earned a berth as the #1 seed into the 16-team Division I-AA playoffs, but lost in the quarterfinals to eventual national champion Youngstown State, 34–37. Villanova was led by 13th-year head coach Andy Talley. Villanova finished the year ranked #1 in the nation according to The Sports Network's final poll, which was released prior to the playoffs starting.
