By Brian Bohl
Any remaining playoff aspirations for the Hofstra football team were dashed following a 27-5 loss in the regular season finale on Nov. 17 against Massachusetts, but there is still a chance Dave Cohen will be rewarded for a winning season.
In his second year as head coach, Cohen led the Pride to a 7-4 record following a trying 2-9 inaugural campaign. Despite losing four of the last five games, he was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the FSC Coach of the Year.
Cohen and Richmond coach Dave Clawson are the only two nominees from the Colonial Athletic Association, joining 14 other candidates for the honor that is sponsored by the Sports Network. The award is named after the former Grambling coach.
“It’s been a successful year in that the program is in a better direction than it was a year ago,” Cohen said. “Offensively, we made major strides. Last year’s defense was the best in 10 years of Hofstra football. The numbers are better this year.”
Hofstra entered the season with minimal expectations. The school lost its final seven games the previous season and didn’t even settle on a quarterback until junior transfer-student Bryan Savage was named the starter in the days leading up to the opener.
But Cohen coaxed his team to a 6-0 start, keeping them in postseason contention until the final weekend. Along the way, Savage developed into a more consistent passer while Kareem Huggins became perhaps the most valuable player in the FCS before suffering a late-season injury against Villanova that kept him out of two games.
The winning record erased the bad taste of his first year on the job. Cohen was just 39 when was tapped to succeeded Joe Gardi, who retired after holding the position from 1990-05. Before Cohen became the seventh coach in the program’s history, he served as the University of Delaware’s defensive coordinator.
“I think we’re making great strides,” senior linebacker Gian Villante said. “I know coach will have them ready for next year. I can’t thanks coach Cohen enough. He’s a great coach and everything he’s done to make this program go forward is just amazing.”
If Huggins stayed healthy, his Payton Award candidacy as the division’s top player might have been bolstered, which ironically might have aided Cohen’s candidacy for the Robinson award. Outside of a surprise in the voting when the results are announced Dec. 13, both player and coach might have to just settle for being nominated.
As for next season, Huggins will not be able to return next season after graduating, though Savage should return for his senior year. He’ll still be able to throw to receivers Ottis Lewis and Anthony Nelson following star wideout Charles Sullivan’s graduation. It could be up to those veteran players if Cohen will be nominated for the Robinson award next season.