McDonnell wins Eddie Robinson Award for second time
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - North Dakota State, Eastern Washington and Montana have come to be associated with dominance on the FCS level, but New Hampshire, under 2014 Eddie Robinson Award winner Sean McDonnell, is the most consistent of the national powers.
The Wildcats have made the national playoffs in 11 straight seasons and been nationally ranked in 154 straight polls. The next-longest runs are five straight playoff appearances and 71 straight rankings.
To further accentuate the job head coach Sean McDonnell has done in keeping UNH at an elite level this season, the Wildcats overcame injuries to their No. 1 quarterback and running back as well as at some other positions. Yet after losing to FBS member Toledo to open the season, they went on to win their final 10 regular-season games, including all eight in CAA Football to win the conference title, and reach the No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2006.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}They also earned the top seed for the 24-team FCS playoffs, where they have reached the national semifinals this weekend.
"The kids that have played have earned it in practice and we've been very, very adamant as coaches and a staff of explaining this to the kids," McDonnell said, "that you'll get your playing time and it will be deserved on how well we practice and what you do day-to-day out there."
In claiming the Robinson Award as the national coach of the year, McDonnell becomes the third two-time winner after former James Madison coach Mickey Matthews and former North Dakota State coach Craig Bohl. The 58-year-old McDonnell, a 1978 UNH graduate, also won in 2005.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Coach Mac has been UNH's head coach for 16 seasons after serving eight seasons as an assistant coach. This is the sixth season in the last 11 years the Wildcats reached at least 10 wins.
McDonnell received 46 of 160 first-place votes and 399 points from a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. Coastal Carolina's Joe Moglia was second and Harvard's Tim Murphy third among 21 finalists.
There were 160 ballots cast in the 2014 Eddie Robinson Award voting.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The results:
2014 Eddie Robinson Award......1st....2nd....3rd....4th....5th....Total
1. Sean McDonnell, New Hampshire...46.....17.....26......9......5.....399
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}2. Joe Moglia, Coastal Carolina....17.....16.....12.....18.....12.....233
3. Tim Murphy, Harvard..............7.....20......9.....19.....13.....193
4. John Grass, Jacksonville State..12......7.....18.....10.....14.....176
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}5. Chris Klieman, North Dakota St...6.....14.....16.....14.....11.....173
6. Brock Spack, Illinois State.....10.....12......9.....10.....11.....156
7. Mike Kramer, Idaho State........11......9.....10.....10.....10.....151
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}8. Broderick Fobbs, Grambling State13......6.....11......7......5.....141
9. Mike Sanford, Indiana State......9......9......7.....13.....11.....139
10. Russ Huesman, Chattanooga........7......7......8......6.....10.....109
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}11. Clint Conque, Stephen F. Austin..6......7......6......5......3......89
12. Beau Baldwin, Eastern Washington.4......5......6......7......9......81
13. Lee Hull, Morgan State...........2......6......7......6......9......76
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}14. Everett Withers, James Madison...1......9......3......5......8......68
15. Rod Broadway, North Carolina A&T.6......4......1......2......8......61
16. Marty Fine, Bryant...............2......3......6......4......3......51
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}17. Dean Hood, Eastern Kentucky......0......3......3......4......2......31
18. Joe Susan, Bucknell..............1......2......1......4......6......30
19. Mark Speir, Western Carolina.....0......4......0......3......5......27
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}20. Dale Lindsey, San Diego..........0......0......1......1......4.......9
21. Tony Reno, Yale..................0......0......0......3......1.......7
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.