Troy head coach Jon Sumrall has been named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, the Football Writers Association and the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced Tuesday. Sumrall is the only coach to be a finalist for the award in 2022 and 2023. In his second year as Troy's head coach, Sumrall led the Trojans to its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference championship, joining Michigan as the only two programs to win league titles in 2022 and 2023.
Troy enters its appearance in the Birmingham Bowl riding a 10-game winning streak for a second straight season, and the Trojans' matchup with Duke marks the first time a Sun Belt program will play a Power Five opponent in a bowl game.
The 12 finalists have been placed on a ballot, which has been sent to the entire FWAA membership. The 2023 recipient will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 20. The official presentation will be at a reception Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Houston, the site of the College Football Playoff National Championship.
The 2023 Trojans have dominated on both sides of the football boasting the nation's sack leader in Javon Solomon and the nation's second-leading rusher in Kimani Vidal. Troy enters the bowl game tied for the Sun Belt record with 45 sacks as a team, while Solomon's 16 individual sacks are the most by a Trojan in the program's DI era.
Vidal has completely rewritten the record books, laying claim to Troy's career, single-season and single-game rushing yardage records while also setting the Troy single-game touchdown record after finding the end zone five times in the Sun Belt Championship Game, the most by a player ever in any FBS conference championship game. Additionally, Vidal was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, Troy's first since 2009.
Troy has held eight of its 13 opponents to fewer than 300 yards of total offense entering the Birmingham Bowl, while the Trojan offense topped the 400-yard mark nine times. Quarterback Gunnar Watson and Vidal became just the third duo in program history to top the 3,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing mark in the same season, while Solomon and Richard Jibunor became just the second Troy duo to record nine or more sacks in the same season.
The Trojans handed Army its first shutout at home in 20 years and first overall shutout in nine seasons, and Troy defeated in-state rival South Alabama for a sixth straight season.
2023 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Finalists
David Braun, Northwestern
Jamey Chadwell, Liberty
Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Eliah Drinkwtiz, Missouri
Jedd Fisch, Arizona
Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio)
Mike Norvell, Florida State
Barry Odom, UNLV
Nick Saban Alabama
Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Jon Sumrall, Troy
Troy enters its appearance in the Birmingham Bowl riding a 10-game winning streak for a second straight season, and the Trojans' matchup with Duke marks the first time a Sun Belt program will play a Power Five opponent in a bowl game.
The 12 finalists have been placed on a ballot, which has been sent to the entire FWAA membership. The 2023 recipient will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 20. The official presentation will be at a reception Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Houston, the site of the College Football Playoff National Championship.
The 2023 Trojans have dominated on both sides of the football boasting the nation's sack leader in Javon Solomon and the nation's second-leading rusher in Kimani Vidal. Troy enters the bowl game tied for the Sun Belt record with 45 sacks as a team, while Solomon's 16 individual sacks are the most by a Trojan in the program's DI era.
Vidal has completely rewritten the record books, laying claim to Troy's career, single-season and single-game rushing yardage records while also setting the Troy single-game touchdown record after finding the end zone five times in the Sun Belt Championship Game, the most by a player ever in any FBS conference championship game. Additionally, Vidal was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, Troy's first since 2009.
Troy has held eight of its 13 opponents to fewer than 300 yards of total offense entering the Birmingham Bowl, while the Trojan offense topped the 400-yard mark nine times. Quarterback Gunnar Watson and Vidal became just the third duo in program history to top the 3,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing mark in the same season, while Solomon and Richard Jibunor became just the second Troy duo to record nine or more sacks in the same season.
The Trojans handed Army its first shutout at home in 20 years and first overall shutout in nine seasons, and Troy defeated in-state rival South Alabama for a sixth straight season.
2023 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Finalists
David Braun, Northwestern
Jamey Chadwell, Liberty
Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Eliah Drinkwtiz, Missouri
Jedd Fisch, Arizona
Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio)
Mike Norvell, Florida State
Barry Odom, UNLV
Nick Saban Alabama
Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Jon Sumrall, Troy
