HOUSTON – Nick Saban, a two-time winner of the American Heart Association Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year Award, has been voted the all-time Coach of the Year winner in a nationwide fan-driven bracket, capping a multi-week social media competition featuring 40 of the sport’s most celebrated seasons.
Saban prevailed in the championship round over Bob Stoops, whose 2000 Oklahoma team also delivered a national title in a breakout campaign that energized fans throughout the bracket.
The tournament, conducted through Instagram Stories on the Bear Bryant Awards account, invited fans to vote on head-to-head matchups spanning decades of college football history, with results advancing daily a champion was crowned.
Saban’s selection reflects the enduring impact of two of the most dominant seasons in modern college football, highlighted by his Bryant Award-winning campaigns in 2003 at LSU and 2020 at Alabama.
In 2003, Saban guided LSU to a 13-1 record and the program’s first national championship in 45 years, establishing a foundation that would later define his coaching legacy.
The Tigers’ defense, widely regarded as one of the nation’s best that season, anchored LSU’s rise through the rankings and culminated in a 21-14 victory over Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game.
That season marked Saban’s first Bear Bryant Award and signaled his arrival as one of the sport’s premier head coaches.
Seventeen years later, Saban added a second Bear Bryant Award with Alabama’s 2020 team, which completed a perfect 13-0 season against an all-SEC regular-season schedule during a pandemic-altered year.
The Crimson Tide’s offense, led by a Heisman Trophy-winning performance at wide receiver by DeVonta Smith and elite quarterback play by Mac Jones, set program and national benchmarks for efficiency and production.
Alabama defeated Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship to secure Saban’s sixth national title with the program – seventh overall – and further cement his place in college football history.
The Bear Bryant Awards recognize excellence in college football coaching while supporting heart health awareness, with this fan-driven initiative serving as a celebration of the sport’s most iconic seasons.
-30-