BOXTOROW HBCU Coaches Poll: Undefeated No. 1 Aggies snag MEAC title; HBCU coaching carousel spins
Michael WallaceRALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina A&T completed its regular-season quest to make history by becoming the first program in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference competition to complete a season 11-0.
The Aggies, who remained the No. 1-ranked team in the BOXTOROW Coaches Poll, secured the unbeaten record by knocking off in-state rival and defending MEAC champion North Carolina Central over the weekend. The victory also secured N.C. A&T a spot in the Dec. 16 nationally televised Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, where they will face the Southwestern Athletic Conference champion.
Second-ranked Grambling will face No. 3 Southern in Saturday’s Bayou Classic in New Orleans to determine the SWAC West division winner, which will meet East winner and No. 5-ranked Alcorn State on Dec. 2 for the SWAC championship in Houston.
“To end the season 11-0 I think says a lot about our coaching staff and the job they have done,” Aggies coach Rod Broadway told reporters after Saturday’s game. “And of course we have some great players. You get a chance to look back and enjoy it a little bit more. Normally, we have a game next week … But this time, we get to stay home so it may give me a chance to reflect on 11-0. I’m going to lay around.”
Beyond that, the biggest news out of HBCU football centers on the coaching vacancies that have come open just days after most teams completed their regular-season schedules. Already this week, Rick Comegy has been dismissed at Mississippi Valley State, James Spady was relieved after four seasons at Alabama A&M and Alex Wood stepped down after just three seasons at Florida A&M. Those three programs join Alabama State, which fired Brian Jenkins midway through his third season.
The BOXTOROW FCS coaches poll is voted on by HBCU Football Championship Subdivision coaches.
2017 BOXTOROW FCS HBCU Football Coaches Poll Week 12
(Records through November 18, 2017)
No. Team W/L Pts Last Week 1. 
North Carolina A&T (17)11-0 188 1 2. 
Grambling (2)9-1 173 2 3. 
Southern 7-3 147 4 4. 
Bethune-Cookman 7-4 116 6 5. 
Alcorn State 7-4 111 3 6. 
Howard 7-3 90 6 7. 
North Carolina Central 7-4 82 7 8. 
Hampton 5-5 51 10 9. 
Prairie View A&M 5-5 48 9 10. 
Tennessee State 6-5 35 8 Others receiving votes: Alabama State (4-6) 2, Norfolk State (4-7) 2.
(1st place votes in parentheses)Note: (1st place votes in parentheses)
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Published on Nov 21, 2016
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