The American Heart Association announced today that the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award will return in EA SPORTS College Football 27's Dynasty Mode, allowing players to earn the honor as the National Coach of the Year. This marks the second consecutive year the award has been featured in the game, joining other prestigious accolades such as the Heisman Trophy, Lou Groza Award, Lombardi Award, Unitas Golden Arm Award, and Broyles Award.
The inclusion of the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award in the celebrated video game franchise aims to engage college football fans while celebrating coaches who embody Bryant's principles of excellence, leadership, and character. The award is part of the American Heart Association's broader initiative to honor Bryant's legacy and raise awareness about heart disease and stroke, the nation's leading killers.
Now in their 41st year, the American Heart Association’s Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards annually present the individual Heart of a Champion Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Newcomer Coach of the Year Award, Conference Coach of the Year Awards, and the Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year Award. Indiana's Curt Cignetti was the 2025 Coach of the Year, and the 2026 winner will be announced at a ceremony in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, January 27, 2027. The Coach of the Year award is voted on by the National Sports Media Association, current NCAA college football coaches, former Coach of the Year Award winners, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards’ Executive Leadership Team, and the Bryant family. It is the only college football coaching honor selected after the National Champion has been determined.
Coach Bryant's journey to the top of college football began in 1913 in Moro Bottom, Arkansas, as a player for Fordyce High School and then the University of Alabama. He began his head coaching career at the University of Maryland in 1945, and after successful stints at the University of Kentucky (1946-53) and Texas A&M (1954-57), Coach Bryant took over the Alabama program in 1958 and led the Crimson Tide through the 1982 season. He won 323 games against just 85 losses and 17 ties, capturing six national championships, 14 SEC Championships, and one Southwest Conference championship. A three-time American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year and 12-time SEC Coach of the Year, Coach Bryant passed away from a heart attack on January 26, 1983 – just under one month after coaching his final game.
After his passing, the Bryant family and American Heart Association collaborated to keep his legacy alive, raise funds to support lifesaving scientific research, and drive greater awareness of the risks surrounding heart disease and stroke. EA Sports College Football 27 will be released on Monday, July 9. For more information on the American Heart Association Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards, visit www.bryantawards.org.
