The American Heart Association on Wednesday announced the eight finalists for the 2025 Paul 'Bear' Bryant Coach of the Year Award, now in its 40th year. The award recognizes college football coaches for their contributions to the sport and their communities, emphasizing values such as grit, integrity, and a winning approach to coaching and life. The winner will be revealed at a ceremony on Jan. 21, 2026, at the Post Oak Hotel in Houston, Texas, and broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
This year's finalists are Curt Cignetti (Indiana University), Bob Chesney (James Madison University), Mario Cristobal (University of Miami), Mike Elko (Texas A&M University), Tony Elliott (University of Virginia), Dan Lanning (University of Oregon), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt University), and Joey McGuire (Texas Tech University). Five of these coaches have also been named Bear Bryant conference coaches of the year for their respective conferences: Cignetti (Big 10), Chesney (Group of 6), Elliott (ACC), Lea (SEC), and McGuire (Big 12).
The Paul Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award is unique among college football coaching honors as it is presented after the national champion has been determined. The finalists and recipient are selected by a vote of the National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards Executive Leadership Team, and the Bryant Family.
The American Heart Association presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate coaching excellence, honor the legacy of the late coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant, and raise funds for its mission to combat heart disease and stroke. Coach Bryant died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.
In addition to the Coach of the Year award, the ceremony will honor former University of Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer with the 2026 Paul 'Bear' Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award. The late Mike Leach, former head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State, and innovator of the Air Raid offense, will be posthumously recognized with the 2026 Paul 'Bear' Bryant Heart of a Champion Award presented by St. Luke's Health.
For more information about the awards and to participate in the virtual VIP experience, visit bryantawards.org. Follow the conversation on Facebook or X using the hashtag #BryantAwards.
