The American Heart Association has released the 2026 watch list for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award, naming 28 current college football coaches in consideration for the annual honor. The award, given each January, recognizes a coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life, both on and off the field. It is the only college football coaching honor given after the National Champion has been determined.
The watch list, finalists and ultimate recipient are voted on by the National Sports Media Association and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards Executive Leadership Team, which includes members of the Bryant family and community leaders. The 2026 list features coaches from across the country, including Kirby Smart of the University of Georgia, Ryan Day of Ohio State University, Kalen DeBoer of the University of Alabama and Marcus Freeman of the University of Notre Dame. The full roster spans the Big Ten, Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Mountain West, Pac-12, American, Sun Belt and independent ranks.
The announcement carries significance beyond the gridiron. The awards are presented annually by the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, to celebrate excellence in coaching, honor coach Bryant's legacy and 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. Since its inception, the awards have united the football community in support of the Association's lifesaving work. That mission remains urgent: the Association funds groundbreaking research, advocates for public health and provides critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The National Coach of the Year Award is one of five honors presented annually during the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards Ceremony, presented by Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas. This year's ceremony, in its 41st year, will be held on Wednesday, January 27, 2027, in Houston and will air on CBS Sports Network. Bruce Arians, NFL Super Bowl winning and college head coach, has been selected as the Heart of a Champion Award winner, and Jackie Sherrill, two-time NCAA national championship head coach, has been named the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
In addition to the Coach of the Year, the awards will present Conference Coach of the Year Awards from each of the Power Four conferences and one from the combined Group of Six conferences and independent teams. Fans can follow the awards and track progress at bryantawards.org. The Association provides health information and resources through heart.org and stroke.org.
For the coaches named, inclusion on the watch list signals national recognition of their leadership and impact. For the American Heart Association, the attention generated by college football's most prominent names translates into support for research and education aimed at reducing deaths from heart disease and stroke. The full list is available through the original release at www.newmediawire.com.
