Football 12/14/2007 10:47:00 AM

Lembo Finishes Sixth in Eddie Robinson Award Standings

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Elon football coach Pete Lembo finished in sixth place for the 2007 Eddie Robinson Award after leading the No. 21 Phoenix to a 7-4 campaign and a share of third place in the Southern Conference. Named for the legendary former Grambling coach, the Robinson Award has been presented annually to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision national coach of the year since 1987.

Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley was elected the 21st winner of the Robinson Award Thursday night at The Sports Network’s FCS Awards Dinner, held annually on the eve of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. Farley directed the Panthers to a perfect 11-0 mark in the regular season and a six-week hold on the No. 1 ranking in The Sports Network’s national poll.

Lembo received seven first-place votes, 11 second-place votes, six third-place votes, five fourth-place votes and 11 fifth-place votes on his way to tallying 118 points. Farley (310 points), Delaware State's Al Lavan (213), McNeese State's Matt Viator (146), Appalachian State's Jerry Moore (142) and North Dakota State's Craig Bohl (139) were the top five finishers.

In just his second year at Elon, Lembo led the Phoenix to its first winning season in seven years and to within one game of claiming the SoCon’s automatic bid to the 2007 FCS playoffs. The 2001 Robinson Award recipient during his first year as head coach at Lehigh, Lembo took over a Phoenix program that endured a 14-42 (.250) record during the five years – and a 3-19 (.136) league ledger for its first three campaigns in the SoCon – prior to his arrival for the 2006 season.

Elon was predicted to finish in sixth place in the eight-team SoCon according to the preseason polls decided by both the conference’s coaches and media, but went on to forge a 4-3 league ledger for the program’s first winning record in SoCon play. Lembo guided the Phoenix to back-to-back triumphs over top-25 teams Georgia Southern and Wofford as well as a victory over Big South Conference champion Liberty.

Elon paces the SoCon and ranks second nationally in passing offense (357.0 yards per game). The Phoenix ranks ninth in the country in scoring offense (36.4 points per game) and 19th in total offense (421.6 yards per game). Elon – Ranked as high as No. 14 in The Sports Network’s poll and No. 15 in the FCS coaches’ poll this season – boasts the country’s top-rated passer and top-ranked receiver at the FCS level.

The last non-Lembo flock of Phoenix finished 3-8 overall (0-7 SoCon) in 2005 while averaging just 253.8 yards of total offense (125.6 in the air) and 15.7 points per game en route to a College Sporting News Gridiron Power Index rating of 47.0 to rank 74th in the country at the FCS level. Just two years later, Elon garners a CSN Gridiron Power Index rating of 18.8 to rank 16th in the nation. For the second consecutive campaign, Elon defeated an eventual playoff team (Coastal Carolina in 2006, Wofford in 2007).

Lembo was one of four SoCon coaches to finish among the top-20 vote-getters for the 2007 Robinson Award. Moore (fourth), Georgia Southern’s Chris Hatcher (11th) and Wofford’s Mike Ayers (19th) all secured lofty positions in the final standings. Last month, Lembo and Ayers were named co-recipients of SoCon Coach of the Year honors by the league’s coaches while Lembo received the title outright from the SoCon Sports Media Association.

The recipients of the Walter Payton Award (the FCS’ top offensive player) and the Buck Buchanan Award (the FCS’ top defensive player) were also announced at the banquet. Elon sophomore wide receiver Terrell Hudgins (Rocky Mount, N.C./Rocky Mount) finished in 11th place and Phoenix freshman quarterback Scott Riddle (Ramseur, N.C./Eastern Randolph) landed in 20th in the voting for the 2007 Payton Award. Former Elon linebacker and current Jacksonville Jaguar safety Chad Nkang placed eighth in the 2006 Buchanan Award standings after ending up fifth in 2005.

The previous Robinson Award winners were Moore (2006), New Hampshire’s Sean McDonnell (2005), Southern Illinois’s Jerry Kill (2004), Ayers (2003), McNeese State’s Tommy Tate (2002), Lembo (2001), Montana’s Joe Glenn (2000), James Madison’s Mickey Matthews (1999), Georgia Southern’s Paul Johnson (1998), Villanova’s Andy Talley (1997), Nicholls State’s Darren Barbier (1996), Murray State’s Houston Nutt (1995), Youngstown State’s Jim Tressel (1994), Boston University’s Dan Allen (1993), The Citadel’s Charlie Taaffe (1992), Nevada’s Chris Ault (1991), UCF’s Gene McDowell (1990), Georgia Southern’s Erk Russell (1989), Lafayette’s Bill Russo (1988) and Holy Cross’ Mark Duffner (1987).

–ELON–

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