Fisher Named As Finalist For STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award

Head coach has guided Western Illinois to FCS Playoffs and program-record six road wins

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois head football coach Charlie Fisher has been selected Monday (Nov. 20) as a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award, which honors the FCS Coach of the Year.

Fisher has led the Leathernecks to an 8-3 record and a berth in the FCS Playoffs, where Western Illinois will travel to Weber State for a first round matchup at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 25). The Leathernecks have recorded eight regular season wins for the first time since 2003.

The second-year head coach at Western Illinois has thrived on the road, posting a 10-3 record away from Macomb. The Leathernecks' six road wins this season is a program record, and Western Illinois began this campaign with three road wins in their first three contests for the very first time in program history.

One of those away victories was a 52-10 throttling of Coastal Carolina on Sept. 23, which thanks to a 28-23 triumph at Northern Illinois last year, gave the Leathernecks back-to-back FBS wins for the first time since 2002-03.

Western Illinois is the second head-coaching stop for Fisher, who is 14-8 during his tenure with the Leathernecks. From 1993-97, Fisher was the head coach at West Georgia, where he posted a 36-17 record with a share of the 1997 Gulf South Conference Championship and two postseason appearances.

With more than 30 years of college coaching experience, Fisher has also spent time as an assistant at Richmond, Penn State, Miami (Ohio), Vanderbilt, Temple, North Carolina State, West Georgia, Lenoir-Rhyne, Ole Miss and Eastern Kentucky. He was a graduate assistant on the 1982 Eastern Kentucky team that won the FCS National Championship.

The Eddie Robinson Award is named for the legendary former coach of Grambling State, and this year's list includes at least one coach from all 13 FCS conferences. A national panel of 150 sports information directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the recipient.

In addition to Fisher, the other 17 finalists are as follows: Mike Ayers (Wofford), Al Bagnoli (Columbia), Brian Bohannon (Kennesaw State), Rod Broadway (North Carolina A&T), Kevin Callahan (Monmouth), Dave Cecchini (Valparaiso), Curt Cignetti (Elon), John Grass (Jacksonville State), Will Healy (Austin Peay), Mike Houston (James Madison), Dan Hunt (Colgate), Chris Klieman (North Dakota State), Mike London (Howard), Fred McNair (Alcorn State), Tim Rebowe (Nicholls State), Pete Rossomando (Central Connecticut State) and Demario Warren (Southern Utah).

Tweet #W1U

Print Friendly Version