With impact both on and off the field, the best coaching performances in FCS college football are recognized by the Eddie Robinson Award. There’s a rich history of national coach of the year recipients, and Montana State’s Brent Vigen is the group’s newest member.
That Montana State coach Brent Vigen was voted as the 2024 Eddie Robinson Award recipient is a natural with the Bobcats’ season.
There’s been a lot of No. 1 status surrounding the FCS national coach of the year.
The 49-year-old Vigen was chosen from 15 finalists – encompassing all 13 FCS conferences – for the 38th annual Robinson Award, which is named for legendary Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson. The Bobcats’ fourth-year coach will be honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
Vigen hopes his squad will be in action two days later in Frisco – in the FCS national championship game.
The Bobcats are 12-0 and the only unbeaten FCS team, winning an outright Big Sky championship under the conference’s coach of the year. They were No. 1-ranked in the final regular-season national poll and earned the No. 1 seed for the 24-team playoffs. Following a first-round bye, they’ll host UT Martin in the second round on Saturday.
Vigen arrived in Bozeman in 2021 as a first-year head coach, but having known great success on the FCS level. He was the offensive coordinator under two-time Eddie Robinson Award recipient Craig Bohl on North Dakota State’s 2011, ’12 and ’13 national championship squads. He later followed Bohl to Wyoming, serving as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator for seven seasons.
Vigen’s first squad at Montana State finished as the 2021 FCS runner-up, and his 44-9 overall record marks the best start ever by a Big Sky coach. This season, the Bobcats are ranked No. 1 in the FCS in rushing offense, total offense and scoring offense.
“He has orchestrated the best regular season in all of FCS and the best regular season in the rich history of Montana State football,” MSU athletic director Leon Costello said. “He is a first-class person that runs a first-class program and so deserving of this award.”
A 56-member, national voting panel selected the Eddie Robinson Award, with Tennessee State coach Eddie George finishing as the runner-up and UC Davis’ Tim Plough third. Past recipients form a Who’s Who of the FCS level, including 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, Deion Sanders, John Stiegelmeier and two-time recipients Mickey Matthews, Sean McDonnell and Bohl.
In addition to the Eddie Robinson Award, the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman Player of the Year), Urban Edge Network HBCU+ National Player of the Year and FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be presented at the Stats Perform awards banquet.
2024 Eddie Robinson Award Voting
Following is a breakdown of the voting results. 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. The final number is the combined point total.
- 1. Brent Vigen, Montana State: 25-6-5-1-7-173
- 2. Eddie George, Tennessee State: 6-9-12-4-5-115
- 3. Tim Plough, UC Davis: 7-10-9-3-2-110
- 4. Jim Fleming, Rhode Island: 5-12-2-3-4-89
- 5. Mike Jacobs, Mercer: 3-5-4-14-4-79
- 6. Chennis Berry, South Carolina State: 7-1-4-5-2-63
- T7: Russ Huesman, Richmond: 0-2-8-2-1-37
- T7. Keith Patterson, Abilene Christian: 1-3-2-3-8-37
- 9. Jon Poppe, Columbia: 1-3-2-4-4-35
- 10. Kevin Cahill, Lehigh: 1-1-3-1-4-24
- 11. Adam Lechtenberg, Central Connecticut State: 0-2-2-4-1-23
- 12. T.C. Taylor, Jackson State: 0-2-1-3-4-21
- 13. Brock Spack, Illinois State: 0-0-1-7-3-20
- 14. Clint Killough, UIW: 0-0-1-2-7-14
- 15. Brandon Moore, San Diego: 0-0-0-0-0-0
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