Grobe named ACC coach of the year

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest lost its starting quarterback and its star running back early in the season. Here&#39;s what the surprising Demon Deacons never lost: their resolve, their cool or many games.<br> <br> And Jim Grobe, who orchestrated the improbable worst-to-first turnaround, was the unanimous selection as the ACC&#39;s coach of the year on Tuesday in voting by 80 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.<br> <br> He succeeds Virginia Tech&#39;s Frank Beamer, who won the award the past two seasons.<br> <br> ``I&#39;m humbled, to say the least, with all the things that are being said about me, because I&#39;m really just a function of what the staff and the players have done,&#39;&#39; Grobe said. ``I&#39;m blessed with what I think and consider is the best coaching staff in America.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Maybe, but Grobe gets the credit for taking a Wake Forest team that was picked in the preseason to finish last in its division and guiding them to a school-record 10 wins, a division title and a spot opposite Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game.<br> <br> Grobe admitted to feeling somewhat slighted when Wake Forest (10-2, 6-2) was picked last in the Atlantic Division despite returning a league-best 18 starters from last year.<br> <br> ``I was a little miffed, honestly, back in July,&#39;&#39; Grobe said. ``I&#39;m not sure we didn&#39;t belong last in the division, because we hadn&#39;t proven anything, but I had a sense that we were going to be a better football team. So, I&#39;m not upset with anything, to be honest with you. I&#39;m tickled to death with where we are.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Along the way, Grobe lost quarterback Ben Mauk in the opener to a season-ending injury and then lost tailback Micah Andrews the heir apparent to 2005 ACC offensive player of the year Chris Barclay in Week 3.<br> <br> To fill Mauk&#39;s vacancy, Grobe inserted Riley Skinner at quarterback and the redshirt freshman promptly led the ACC in pass efficiency, was conference rookie of the year and named to the second-team all-conference team.<br> <br> And Grobe eventually moved receiver Kenneth Moore to running back, and in the biggest game of the season to date the Demon Deacons&#39; division-clinching victory at Maryland Moore had the most productive game by a Wake Forest running back all season.<br> <br> He had 165 yards rushing and a 19-yard touchdown run in the 38-24 victory which gave the Demon Deacons a shot at their first ACC title since 1970.<br> <br> ``We&#39;ve put together an absolutely great group of kids that don&#39;t have runaway egos and just like to win football games, like to play (and) don&#39;t care about stats,&#39;&#39; Grobe said. ``From my standpoint, I feel a little guilty when people talk about any awards that I might get, because I&#39;m totally dependent on my coaching staff and my players.&#39;&#39;