Taylor Tabbed 2019 Eddie Robinson Award Winner
CHICAGO, Ill. (December 12, 2019) – Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor has been named the 2019 STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award Winner, announced today by the organization. Taylor will be honored at the STATS FCS Awards Banquet Jan. 10 in Frisco, Texas.
“I’m honored to be chosen as the Eddie Robinson Award winner,” Taylor said. “The success we had this season at Sacramento State is due to the contribution of many administrators, support staff, coaches and, of course, our incredibly committed and resilient players. I accept this award on behalf of all those involved that have made this season a success.”
Taylor guided Sacramento State to one of the biggest improvements in 2019 giving the Big Sky Conference the top FCS coaching honor for the second consecutive year. He took a program that went 2-8 overall and 0-7 in conference play in 2018 and led them to a 9-3 overall and 7-1 league mark for the regular season. The Eddie Robinson Award is named for the legendary Grambling State coach and since 1987 has honored the national coach of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision.
In Taylor’s first season guiding the Hornet program, Sacramento State had a record-breaking season. The Hornets recorded nine overall victories during the regular season and registered seven Big Sky wins to set new school records. The Hornets earned a share of the 2019 Big Sky Championship and the first FCS Playoff berth in school history, where they were rewarded with the No. 4 overall seed and a first-round bye.
Sacramento State defeated three top 25 teams in a row, snapping a 16-game losing streak to ranked opponents. The Hornets cracked the top 25 polls for the first time since 2011. The Hornets current ranking of No. 3 in the STATS FCS and AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Polls is the best in school history.
Taylor becomes the fifth coach in Big Sky history to earn the Eddie Robinson Award. UC Davis Head Coach Dan Hawkins earned the honor in 2018. Nevada’s Chris Ault (1991), Montana’s Joe Glenn (2000), and Portland State’s Bruce Barnum (2015) were the first-three to take home the honor for the league.
A national panel of 156 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries voted on the Robinson Award following the regular season. Voters selected a Top 5 on their ballot.
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The 2019 Eddie Robinson Award results:
1. Troy Taylor, Sacramento State: 66-18-14-10-8-472
2. Matt Entz, North Dakota State: 26-30-26-24-12-388
3. Mark Hudspeth, Austin Peay: 13-23-23-21-10-278
4. Kevin Callahan, Monmouth: 16-19-16-18-21-261
5. Ryan McCarthy, Central Connecticut State: 9-19-21-21-16-242
6. Curt Cignetti, James Madison: 4-19-16-14-16-188
7. Greg Gattuso, UAlbany: 7-13-12-9-10-151
8. Scott Wachenheim, VMI: 3-2-5-7-10-62
9. Buddy Pough, South Carolina State: 1-2-6-10-7-58
10. Buddy Teevens, Dartmouth: 2-3-3-7-12-57
11. Bernard Clark Jr., Robert Morris: 5-3-3-4-2-56
12. Nathan Brown, Central Arkansas: 1-5-4-4-9-54
13. Bob Chesney, Holy Cross: 3-0-3-4-6-38
14. Dale Lindsey, San Diego: 0-0-2-2-13-23
15. Connell Maynor, Alabama A&M: 0-0-2-1-4-12
A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point.