The American Heart Association sponsors the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, given to the college head football coach “for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field.”
Twenty-eight (28) coaches were named on the Bryant Watch List last week for Coach of the Year. UH’s own Willie Fritz made the watch list. The full list of B12 coaches are as follows:
Willie Fritz - UH
Joey McGuire - Texas Tech
Scott Satterfield - Cincinnati
Kalani Sitake - BYU
Kyle Whittingham - Utah
In addition to Coach of the Year, the Awards also present a Conference Coach of the Year to each P4 Conference, the Group of 5, including the PAC12 and independents.
The Award ceremony will be in Houston, TX, at the Post Oak Hotel, January 21, 2026.
IMPORTANT - FAN VOTING
Fan voting is part of the process. Some coaches have hundreds of votes. Willie Fritz has two. Here is a link to vote for coaches. Let’s get behind Willie Fritz.