The Allstate Sugar Bowl became the presenting sponsor for the Football Writers Association of America’s Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award in the summer of 2014. The Sugar Bowl hosts the FWAA/Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year reception, which is held at the site of the College Football Playoff National Championship each January, and helps with other facets of the award. The Eddie Robinson Award is presented annually the top head coach in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision.

Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea was officially presented with the 2025 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award by representatives of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Robinson family, and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) at an event at the JW Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami on January 17.
 
Lea led Vanderbilt to the most wins in program history for both a single season and conference play. The Commodores were a part of the national discussion throughout the season as they defeated four then-Top 25 opponents along the way, equaling the most ranked wins by the program from its previous 16 seasons combined.
 
At the event, Lea was presented with the iconic bust of the late Robinson, a College Football Hall of Fame coach at Grambling State University for 55 years and winner of 408 career games.
 
Lea was the first Vanderbilt coach to win the Eddie Robinson Award and was the school's first finalist in the award's history. He was chosen from among 11 other finalists in Bob Chesney of James Madison, last season's winner in Curt Cignetti of Indiana, Ryan Day of Ohio State, Mike Elko of Texas A&M, Tony Elliott of Virginia, Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame, Jerry Mack of Kennesaw State, Joey McGuire of Texas Tech, Jim Mora of Connecticut, Kirby Smart of Georgia and Jon Sumrall of Tulane.

The FWAA has presented a coaching award since the 1957 season when Ohio State's Woody Hayes was named the first recipient. Beginning in 1997, the FWAA Coach of the Year Award has been named in honor of the late Robinson, a coaching legend at Grambling State University for 55 seasons.

Robinson, who passed away in 2007, won 70.7 percent of his games during his illustrious career. Robinson's teams won or tied for 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championships after joining the league in 1959. His Tigers teams won nine Black College Football Championships during his career, all of it at Grambling.
 

Eddie Robinson Award Winners