86° P/SUNNY, Saban finalist for Bryant Award
From staff reportsLast Modified: Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 5:23 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA | Nick Saban is a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award for the second year in a row.
The American Heart Association announced Thursday that the University of Alabama's head football coach is a finalist along with Mack Brown of Texas, Jim Harbaugh of Stanford, Paul Johnson of Georgia Tech, Chip Kelly of Oregon, Chris Petersen of Boise State and Kevin Sumlin of Houston.
Saban and Brown are past winners of the award. Saban won in 2003 after leading LSU to the BCS national championship and was a finalist again last season. Brown won in 2005 after leading Texas to the national title.
Saban has already been named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year by his peers and by the Associated Press, as well as Sporting News.
Saban this year joined Bryant as the only two coaches to win SEC championships at two different schools -- Bryant at Kentucky and Alabama, Saban at LSU and Alabama.
Saban has compiled a 32-8 record in his three-year tenure at Alabama.
The Paul “Bear” Bryant Award honors excellence in coaching while raising funds to fight heart disease and stroke.
The winner will be announced live at the annual awards dinner benefiting the American Heart Association on Jan. 14, 2010, at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston.
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