James Madison Head Coach Curt Cignetti named Bear Bryant Awards Coach of the Week
HOUSTON, Nov. 28, 2023 – James Madison Head Coach Curt Cignetti is this week’s Bear Bryant Awards Fan Vote Favorite Coach of the Week presented by Accenture. Coach Cignetti receives the honor following his Dukes 56-14 win over Coastal Carolina. With the win, the Dukes moved to 11-1 on the season, a No. 24 rankings in the latest Associated Press poll, and secures them the top spot in the final Sun Belt East standings.
Cignetti, in his fifth season with James Madison, has amassed a 52-9 record. The Dukes will compete in their first Bowl game this season since making the move to the FBS in 2022.
Each week of the regular season, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards recognizes a coach for leading their team to an exceptional victory. Previous Coach of the Week honorees this season include Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, among others.
The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, presents the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Awards annually to celebrate excellence in coaching, to honor Coach Bryant’s legacy and to raise awareness and critical funds for their mission. The coaching legend died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.
In October, Twenty-six active college football coaches, including Cignetti, were named to the 2023 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watch List. The finalists for the Award will be named in December and the Coach of the Year will be announced at a ceremony in Houston on January 10, 2024.
Fans can follow the action at facebook.com/bryantawards, twitter.com/bryantawards or Instagram.com/bryantawards. For more information on the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Awards, visit bryantawards.org.