Grambling, La –After assuming the head football coach position at Grambling State University last December, when the team had a record of 2-22, Broderick Fobbs was recently named Coach of the Year by the Southwestern Athletic Conference after leading a defeated team to a 7-5 record this season. But to the Monroe native, there was no secret behind his success in a short amount of time.
 
"As a coach you have to understand that you are serving others, first of all," said Broderick. "To me, a great coach is someone (who) looks at coaching as a way to help others achieve their goals, whether it is an assistant coach or a player."
 
The humble and spiritual man believes that he is here on an assignment to do something great, not for himself but for players, coaches and Grambling.
 
Looking back from when his son first wanted to become a physical therapist, Lee Fobbs, the running backs coach at Grambling, still remembers when Broderick called him. His son wanted to follow in his footsteps and wanted to coach football. Lee had a friend who was the head football coach at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After speaking with the head coach, Broderick landed the job as an assistant coach from 2002 to 2006. 
 
"I wanted him to experience the same thing that I had experienced," said Lee. "And I told him that it was going to be tough and ''if we start this we are going to finish it."
 
Lee then added how this phrase was a motto in his household at the time and once you started a task, you were expected to finish it.
 
When the head football coach position was open at Grambling, Broderick was a tight ends coach at McNeese during his sixth season with the team. Though some were skeptical of him taking the position as a first time head coach, Broderick had no worries. He also over looked the pressure in winning games.
 
"Everyone said that it was impossible and everyone thought it was a pressure situation, said Broderick." But to me, there is more pressure in shooting a free throw than there is in shooting a half court shot and this was a half court shot."
 
 
Although Doug Williams was the last football coach at Grambling who won this award in 2011, Broderick isn't as ecstatic as others.
 
"For me it means a lot only because of the coaches and the players that were instrumental in that particular thing to make this happen", said Broderick." For myself, its not for me to accept the award, I accept it for them."
 
He then went into detail by saying the Coach of the Year Award is more about his players and coaching staff than about himself.
 
Inside the Football Stadium Complex at Grambling, it is evident why Broderick received such a prestigious award from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. According to the players and coaching staff, Broderick is known for one thing.
 
"You don't know anyone who works as hard or puts the time in like he does," said coach Reginald Nelson, the offensive line coach at Grambling.  "I haven't worked with a head coach who genuinely cares about the players like he does."
 
Other players, along with coaches echoed Nelson's thoughts of Fobbs as well. One player in particular is No. 27 Tyree Hollins from Monroe.
 
"He changed the way we thought into a winning mindset because before we had that defeated mindset," said No. 27 Tyree Hollins. "Hands down, coach Fobbs is a natural born leader and he helped changed our lives by teaching us more than football."
 
Hollins then added that he never had a father to look up to, but he considers Broderick his father figure in life.
 
Broderick's goals for next season include preparing and molding a group of young men into a team in January and to find "the heart beat".
 
"We are going to be a totally different team."