HOUSTON, Oct. 13, 2025 – Phillip Fulmer, who guided the University of Tennessee to a pair of Southeastern Conference championships and the inaugural BCS National Championship, is the recipient of the American Heart Association’s 2026 Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor is given annually to college football’s finest coaches recognizing the outstanding achievements and extraordinary contributions made throughout their careers. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 during the Association’s annual Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Awards ceremony, in Houston, Texas. The ceremony, presented by Memorial Hermann Health System, will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.
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.
“Coach Fulmer has touched the lives of countless young people and we congratulate him on this accomplishment,” said Nancy Brown, American Heart Association Chief Executive Officer. “Recognizing legendary careers of outstanding coaches honors the memory and achievements of Paul “Bear” Bryant. The funds raised at the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Awards ceremony help the American Heart Association to continue to work to better diagnose, treat and prevent heart disease.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a coach for outstanding career accomplishments both on and off the football field. Now in its 27th year, The Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award is given based on three areas of criteria as determined by the Bryant family and voted on by the National Sports Media Association:
- Integrity both on and off the field above reproach.
- Leadership, dedication, and developing the character, integrity, and sportsmanship of young people on and off the football field, and
- Inspiration and instruction in the development of skills of the game and physical fitness in their players.
“I am extremely honored to receive the Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award that honors the amazing legacy and accomplishments of Coach Bryant,” said Fulmer. “I followed and admired Coach Bryant from a little guy all through his career, and I am humbled to receive this award that bears his name and those that received the award in the past.”
Fulmer joins a list of college football coaching greats that includes Grant Teaff (2025), Lloyd Carr (2024), Bob Stoops (2023), John Robinson (2022), Howard Schellenberger (2021), Bill Snyder (2020), and Frank Beamer (2019).
One of the most distinguished coaches in Southeastern Conference history, Fulmer took over as Tennessee’s head coach in 1992 and compiled a record of 152-52 over 17 seasons. Under his guidance, the Volunteers won SEC titles in 1997 and 1998, using that perfect 1998 campaign to lead Tennessee to the inaugural BCS National Championship after beating Florida State in the 1999 Fiesta Bowl. Six of Fulmer’s teams captured at least a share of the SEC division title, and Fulmer posted a perfect 5-0 record when facing off against teams ranked No. 1 nationally.
In his 17 seasons at the helm of the Tennessee program, Tennessee posted nine seasons with ten or more wins. Fulmer’s Volunteers were at their best within the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium, posting an 88-19 record at home during his tenure.
More than 90 of Fulmer’s former players eventually played in the National Football League, with 70 of his players earning first team all-Southeastern Conference honors. Fulmer coached two William V. Campbell Trophy winners in Peyton Manning and Michael Munoz, and 19 of Fulmer’s players were named first team all-America.
A native of Winchester, Tennessee, Fulmer was an offensive lineman for the Volunteers from 1969-71, eventually being named a co-captain and capturing all-Southeastern Conference honors. He moved onto the sidelines as a student coach for the 1972 and 1973 seasons, serving as linebacker coach and defensive coordinator for the Vols’ freshman team. After graduation, Fulmer spent five years on staff at Wichita State University, coaching the offensive line in 1974 and 1977-78, as well as the linebackers in 1975-76.
Fulmer returned to his home state in 1979, serving as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Vanderbilt University, before returning to his alma mater in the 1980 season. Fulmer serve 13 years as an assistant coach for the Vols, coaching the offensive line from 1980-1988 before adding offensive coordinator duties in the 1989 season.
In 1992, Fulmer led Tennessee to a 3-0 start as the team’s interim head coach while then-head coach Johnny Majors recovered from quintuple-bypass heart surgery. After the team’s final regular-season game, Majors resigned and Fulmer became the team’s 20th head coach, leading the Volunteers to a 38-23 victory over No. 16 Boston College in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
Fulmer coached his final game at Tennessee on November 29, 2008, a 28-10 win over the University of Kentucky. That win moved Fulmer’s all-time record against the Wildcats to 17-0.
In recognition of his accomplishments at Tennessee, Fulmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Widely known as one of the top recruiters in the country, Fulmer had a knack for attracting top talent to Rocky Top, and during his tenure, the Volunteers had a seven-game winning streak over longtime rival Alabama from 1995 to 2001. That winning stream marked the longest for a Tennessee coach in the Third Saturday in October. Only Nick Saban (15 wins from 2007-2021) and Bear Bryant (11 wins from 1971-81) had longer winning streaks in the series.
After stepping down as head coach, Fulmer remained an influential voice in the game. Fulmer spent time as an analyst on CBS’ SEC Postgame Show, and appeared on several programs on the CBS Sports Network. In 2017, Fulmer returned to his alma mater, first as special advisor to the president before being named the director of athletics on December 1, 2017. Fulmer guided the Tennessee athletic department to a No. 25 finish in the NACDA Directors’ Cup in 2019, the university’s best finish since 2011. He retired from the university in 2021.
A member of the 2018 SEC Legends Class, Fulmer was named East Tennesseean of the Year by the East Tennessee Historical Society in 2019. Later that year, Fulmer was named to ESPN’s list of the top 150 college football coaches to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of five honors presented annually during the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Ceremony. This year’s ceremony will be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 in Houston and will air on CBS Sports Network. In addition to Lifetime Achievement, additional awards will also be bestowed for Heart of a Champion, Fan Favorite, the Newcomer Coach of the Year, and the 2025 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year.
Fans can follow the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards, track progress of the awards at facebook.com/bryantawards, twitter.com/bryantawardsor by following the hashtag #BryantAwards. To attend the exclusive virtual, VIP experience for the Bryant Awards, contact 832-918-4009 or visit bryantawards.org.
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