News & Notes: Dibilio named ROY; Columbia coach axed

Dibilio named Rookie of the Year

In a less-than-surprising announcement, freshman running back Chuck Dibilio was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year on Tuesday afternoon. Dibilio shattered the freshman rushing record by more than 200 yards, finishing with 1,068 in 10 games. The freshman ran for a season-high 178 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers’ homecoming contest against Yale, one of five games in which he topped a century. He was named the Rookie of the Week a record six times, and his debut season ranks sixth all-time among single-season Princeton rushers.

Dibilio was also a first-team All-Ivy selection, along with junior defensive lineman Caraun Reid. Six Tigers were named to the second team: Senior offensive lineman Matt Allen, senior defensive lineman Mike Catapano, senior linebacker Steve Cody, senior kicker Pat Jacob, junior punter Joe Cloud and junior linebacker Andrew Starks.

Columbia axes football coach Norries Wilson

A thrilling 35-28 double-overtime upset of Brown in the final game of the 2011 season allowed Columbia to avoid a winless season, but it was not enough for head coach Norries Wilson to save his job. The sixth-year coach was fired on Sunday after completing a 1-9 season.

“In order to achieve the goals that we have set for the Columbia football program, we believe that it is necessary and appropriate to make a change in leadership at this time,” Columbia athletic director M. Dianne Murphy said in a statement.

When Wilson was hired in 2005, he was the first African-American head football coach in Ivy League history. In his six-year tenure, the Lions went 17-43, including blowout victories over Princeton in 2009 and 2010, the first time Columbia beat the Tigers in consecutive years. Princeton returned the favor with a 24-21 home win in October for what would be the Tigers’ only victory of the season.