University of Maine head football coach Joe Harasymiak has been named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, given annually to the national coach of the year in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.
In his third year as the Black Bears’ coach, Harasymiak guided the team to the Colonial Athletic Association outright championship with a 7-1 league mark, an 8-3 overall record. On Sunday, Maine was seeded seventh in the upcoming FCS playoffs, which earned the Black Bears a first-round bye and a home playoff game on Dec. 1. The conference championship and the playoff berth were Maine’s first since 2013.
The Eddie Robinson Award will be presented at the STATS FCS awards banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas, site of the national championship game. Fifteen coaches were named finalists on Monday.
“It is extremely humbling to be in the same conversation as all of these great coaches,” said Harasymiak. “The only reason this happened is because of the great coaches and players I get to be around every day.”
In addition, senior linebacker Sterling Sheffield has been named a finalist for the STATS Buck Buchanan Award, given annually to the top defensive player in the FCS.
And two Maine players were honored by the CAA on Monday. Earnest Edwards, who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in last Saturday’s 27-26 win over Elon, was named CAA special teams player of the week. Ramon Jefferson, who gained 130 rushing yards in that victory, was named CAA rookie of the week.
The Black Bears made a jump in both national polls after winning the conference title. Maine moved from 19th to 14th in the FCS Coaches Poll and from 16th to 12th in the STATS FCS Poll. James Madison, ranked sixth in both polls, is the only CAA team ranked ahead of Maine.
WILLIAM & MARY: The school hired Mike London as its head coach.
London, who just finished his second season as the head coach at Howard, will replace Jimmye Laycock, who retired after his 39th season.
The move for London, 58, means a return to one of his earliest stops in coaching. He served as the defensive line coach under Laycock for the Tribe from 1990-93.
It also marks a return to the CAA for London, who guided Richmond to the 2008 national championship during a two-year stint as the Spiders’ head coach.
SYRACUSE: Coach Dino Babers says he’s hopeful quarterback Eric Dungey will be available for the 19th-ranked Orange’s season finale at Boston College.
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