Trei Oliver Repeats As MEAC Coach Of The Year
North Carolina Central head coach Trei Oliver was named the MEAC Coach of the Year for a second straight year. Under Oliver, the Eagles had a 9-2 overall record and 4-1 in the MEAC. A loss to Howard prevented them from repeating as conference champions. However, the Eagles secured an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, marking their first NCAA appearance. The team had impressive non-conference FCS wins over No. 25 Elon, Campbell, North Carolina A&T, and Mississippi State.
Sep 16, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; North Carolina Central Eagles head coach Trei Oliver watches game action against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Oliver has been announced as one of the finalists for the 2023 Eddie Robinson Award. He's one of 20 finalists vying to become the national coach of the year in Division I FCS college football.
Ahead of the playoff game, the Eagles are ranked 13th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll and 16th in the Stat Perform FCS poll. NCCU (9-2) will meet Richmond (8-3) at 1 PM ET in the first round of the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 25.
