HOUSTON, May 12, 2026 – Justin Boeving, partner at Socium Advisors and president of Socium Sport, will serve as chair of the 2027 Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards, the American Heart Association’s premier college football coaching honors event celebrating leadership on and off the field while raising lifesaving funds to fight heart disease and stroke.
The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate excellence in coaching, to honor coach Bryant’s legacy, and to raise awareness and critical funds for its mission. The coaching legend died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.
The Bryant Awards annually honor the nation’s top college football coaches while raising awareness and critical funding for the American Heart Association. Established in 1986 and named for legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, the awards celebrate the leadership, integrity and perseverance that define the sport’s most impactful coaches while supporting lifesaving research and education programs.
Boeving, a nationally recognized financial advisor to elite athletes and sports professionals, has built a reputation for helping high-performing individuals navigate the financial complexities that come with success at the highest levels of business and sport. Through his leadership role with the Bryant Awards, he will help guide fundraising efforts and expand engagement within the college football and professional sports communities.
“Justin understands the intersection of sports, leadership and service,” said Steven Embree, executive director of the Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Awards. “His passion for supporting athletes and giving back to the community makes him an outstanding leader for the Bryant Awards as we continue advancing the American Heart Association’s mission to save and improve lives.”
Boeving’s connection to athletics began on the field. Raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he earned football scholarships to play at Assumption University before transferring to the University of Arkansas, where he completed his degree in business management with a minor in real estate and finance.
In 2010, Boeving founded Athletes Advantage Financial, a firm dedicated to serving professional and elite athletes with specialized financial planning strategies. The firm’s success and reputation for excellence led to its merger with mentor Scott Underwood’s practice in 2022 to form Socium Advisors, which has grown into one of the nation’s leading financial planning teams within Northwestern Mutual.
Boeving has been recognized by Forbes as one of Arkansas’s top financial security professionals and is a frequent speaker at athletic director conferences, universities and financial leadership events. His expertise has been featured in Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg, Businessweek and Entrepreneur.
“College football has always been about more than wins and losses,” Boeving said. “The Bryant Awards honor the very best characteristics of the game while supporting the American Heart Association’s critical mission. It’s an honor to help carry forward that legacy.”
Boeving lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with his wife Megan and their four children.
-30-