CHICAGO -- Indiana State head football coach
Curt Mallory has been named a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson award, which honors the national coach of the year.
After an 0-11 season in 2017, Mallory completed the biggest turnaround in college football, leading the Sycamores to a 7-4 finish, a third-place finish in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and a No. 24 national ranking.
Coming into the year, Indiana State was picked to finish last in the MVFC with just one voter not picking the Sycamores to finish 10th. Indiana State finished 5-3 in the MVFC, the most grueling league in FCS, ranking ahead to two FBS conferences. Two of the Sycamores three conference losses came by three points, including an overtime loss to No. 3 South Dakota State in Brookings and a loss against Missouri State.
The Sycamores are one of 18 FCS programs to win four road games this season, including three road games during a five-game winning streak to end the season.
Named for the legendary coach of Grambling State and first presented in 1987, the Robinson Award's esteemed list of winners include Mark Duffner, Erk Russell, Chris Ault, Jim Tressel, Houston Nutt, Andy Talley, Paul Johnson, Joe Glenn, Mike Ayers, Jerry Kill, Jerry Moore, K.C. Keeler and two-time winners Mickey Matthews, Sean McDonnell and Craig Bohl.
The Eddie Robinson Award will be presented at the STATS FCS Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas. At the banquet, STATS will also present the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), the Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year) and the Doris Robinson FCS Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including
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