NORFOLK, Va. – NSU head football coach Pete Adrian is one of 20 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, given annually to the top Division I Football Championship Subdivision coach in the nation by The Sports Network.

 A panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the Robinson Award winner, named after the legendary former coach at Grambling State.

 NSU is 9-2 this season and won its first-ever MEAC football title, finishing 7-1 in conference play. The nine overall wins and seven MEAC victories are the most for NSU in its Division I history, and the nine wins are second-most in school annals behind only the 1984 team’s 10-2 record. The MEAC title is just the fifth conference football championship in school history and first since 1984, when the Spartans won the last of their four CIAA titles in Division II.

 This is Adrian’s second time as a finalist for the award. He also made the final cut in 2007, when he led the Spartans to an 8-3 record and MEAC runner-up finish.