Grobe Named AFCA Region I Coach of The Year
12/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 4, 2006
WACO, Texas - Wake Forest's Jim Grobe has been selected the Region I Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association, the organization announced on Monday. Grobe's Demon Deacons won the ACC Championship on Saturday to clinch a berth in the FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 2.
Region I encompasses the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East Conference, Army, Navy and Temple.
"What makes this award so special is that this is the only coach of the year award voted on exclusively by the coaches themselves," AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff said. "The winners are selected by the coaches they compete with and against on a daily basis."
The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's five divisions: I-A, I-AA, Division II, Division III and NAIA. The winners are selected by active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.
Joining Grobe as winners in Division I-A are Arkansas' Houston Nutt (Region 2), Michigan's Lloyd Carr (Region 3), Boise State's Chris Petersen (Region 4) and BYU's Bronco Mendenhall (Region 5).
Grobe, the unanimous 2006 ACC Coach of the Year, has also been voted a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award by the Football Writers Association of America and the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year award.
The Demon Deacons were picked to finish last in the ACC's Atlantic Division in the preseason and lost their starting quarterback, starting running back and starting defensive end early in the season.
Wake Forest responded by winning a school-record 11 games, its first ACC Championship since 1970 to represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl.
Judging by winning percentage, Wake Forest is the second-most improved team in America. The 2005 Deacons went 4-7 and the 2006 Deacons are currently 11-2. Wake Forest is ranked in the top 25 for the eighth straight week, the longest streak in program history. The Deacons finished with a winning record in the ACC for the first time 1988 and only the seventh time ever. Wake Forest swept its ACC Tobacco Road rivals for the first time since 1987.
Grobe is the first coach to lead Wake Forest to two bowl games during the ACC era.