The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl, has named Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin and UAB head coach Bill Clark among the eight finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
 
Picked in the preseason to finish fifth in the East Division, Kiffin led the Owls to a perfect 8-0 mark in Conference USA games and a victory in the 2017 Dynacraft C-USA Football Championship Game, becoming just the second school in league history to finish undefeated in league play and win the title game.  Florida Atlantic is 10-3 overall and on a current nine-game winning streak, the school’s longest since moving to the FBS level in 2005.  Led by sophomore RB Devin “Motor” Singletary, the nation’s touchdown leader with a C-USA record-tying 30, FAU has the No. 6 rushing offense and No. 9 scoring offense in the FBS.  The Owls will play in their first bowl game since 2008 when they face MAC East Division Champion Akron in the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 19.
 
After not playing football in 2015 and 2016, the Blazers bevy of practices and self-scouting for two years paid immense returns with the 2017 season, as Clark led the Blazers to a program record for overall FBS wins (eight), conference wins (six) and home wins (six).  For just the second time in school history (Hawaii, 2004), UAB will be competing in a bowl game as the Blazers tackle the Ohio Bobcats in the Bahamas Bowl December 22.  Despite only two seasons at the helm of the program, Clark already ranks second overall among Blazer coaches with a .583 winning percentage.  He is 14-10 in two seasons at the helm and has guided the Blazers to bowl eligibility in both years.  Clark and the Blazers have one of the nation’s top freshmen in running Spencer Brown (fourth in C-USA with 1,292 rushing yards, along with 12 TDs on the ground).
 
Kiffin and Clark are joined on the finalist list by Scott Frost (UCF), Jeff Monken (Army), Lincoln Riley (Oklahoma), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Dabo Swinney (Clemson) and Jeff Tedford (Fresno State).
 
The Eddie Robinson Award has been given yearly since 1957 to the nation’s premier football coach. Eddie Robinson coached for 56 years at Grambling State University, amassing 408 victories over the span of a legendary career.
 
The winner of the award will be announced December 14 and the official presentation will take place January 6, 2018 in Atlanta in conjunction with the College Football Playoff National Championship.