After completing his fifth year as Southeast Missouri State University's head football coach, Tony Samuel has received national awards and recognition for the 2010 season.
On Jan. 6, Samuel was awarded the 24th annual Eddie Robinson Award sponsored by The Sports Network and Fathead.com and prior to that was named Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year.
The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision. The Robinson Award is voted on by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters and writers.
Samuel, who started coaching for Southeast in Dec. of 2005, has his contract up for review on Monday Jan. 31. While no announcements have been made confirming his return to the position, Samuel continues to fulfill the duties of his job. In anticipation of the Redhawks signing day on Feb. 2, Samuel is putting a list together of potential recruits.
Samuel captured 31 of the 130 first-place votes and 269 points. Behind him was Western Illinois' Mark Hendrickson as the runner-up with 218 points. Eastern Washington's Beau Baldwin, Wofford's Mike Ayers (the winner of the 2003 Robinson Award) and Indiana State's Trent Miles made it into the top five.
Coming from 2-9 tied in 7th place in the OVC in 2009 then going to 9-2, winning the conference and making its first ever playoff berth in the 2010 season; USAtoday.com called the program Samuels ran "…one of the best turnarounds in NCAA history."
The Redhawks had ten players named to the All-OVC team and a school-record eight players were named to the first team. Senior running back Henry Harris was chosen as the OVC's offensive player of the year. Also, Harris, senior guard Frank Knights and senior center Sean Middleton were named All-Americans by the Sports Network.
Red-shirt junior defensive end Courtney Brame has been playing under Samuel for four years. Coming from a successful high school program in St. Louis to winning only two to three games a season was something Brame had to adjust to.
"He has definitely taught me to stay loyal through adversity and that you really can do anything if you just believe," said Brame. "This past season we as a team learned that if we just believe in each other and in our own abilities, we could be successful."
"Coach Sam brings a lot of strengths to Southeast football with his past winning experience and his personality as a coach," Brame said.
Samuel uses a father-like approach to his players, consistently asking them about their grades. He emphasizes a family attitude rather than just a team mind set. Brame described Samuel as loyal, and his loyalty has proven to be important, especially during those struggling seasons.
"Samuel has dealt with a lot of adversity over the last few years but he stuck to what he knows to help us be successful. He never pointed fingers when the media would say things about why we were losing," Brame said.
Director of Football Operations and assistant defensive line coach Nick Stauffer has known Samuel for seven years and has learned a lot from him.
"Being a young coach, I've learned how to manage a team and have learned what it takes to put it together," said Stauffer. "He brings a lot of great knowledge of the game and has experience at all different levels."
Samuel has coaching experience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, New Mexico State University, Purdue and other Division-1 schools. Throughout his career Samuel has coached many players that are now in the NFL.
Southeast players and coaches don't want to see him leave.
"He's raised the spirits of the Southeast Missouri community with Redhawk Football to an all time high," said Brame. "We want to carry the momentum we have with us now into the next season with him."
