Curt Cignetti, head coach at Indiana University, was named national college football Coach of the Year at the American Heart Association's Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards, presented by Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System. The 40th annual awards program benefits the American Heart Association, which is devoted to changing the future to a world of healthier lives for all.
This recognition matters because it represents one of college football's highest coaching honors, awarded after the national champion has been determined, making it unique among coaching awards. The selection process involves voting 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, ensuring broad consensus within the football community.
In his second season at Indiana, Cignetti capped one of the most dramatic program turnarounds in the history of college football, culminating with the program's first national title. Indiana finished the 2025 season with a perfect 16-0 record, led by the play of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was named Most Outstanding Player in the Hoosiers' national championship victory over Miami. This achievement demonstrates how effective coaching can transform a program's trajectory and competitive standing at the highest level of college athletics.
The award's significance extends beyond football as it supports cardiovascular disease research through its connection to the American Heart Association. In 1983, football coaching legend Paul "Bear" Bryant died from a heart attack. Moved to amplify and drive education surrounding heart disease after his passing, the Bryant family teamed up with the American Heart Association in 1986, building on the Association's Coach of the Year Award to create the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards program. Each year since then, the awards have celebrated "Bear's" legacy by recognizing coaching excellence while raising critical funds for research to eradicate cardiovascular disease.
"We are honored to recognize coach Cignetti with this year's Paul 'Bear' Bryant Coach of the Year Award," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. "This award upholds coach Bryant's legacy by celebrating exceptional leadership and excellence. The American Heart Association's work with the Bryant family strengthens our mission so everyone, everywhere can live a long and healthy life."
Presented in Houston, the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award annually recognizes the country's top college football coach for their positive contributions both on and off the field, as well as efforts to make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life. This dual focus on athletic achievement and character development highlights the award's comprehensive approach to evaluating coaching excellence.
Additional honorees at this year's event included Phillip Fulmer, the legendary former head coach of the University of Tennessee, who received the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award, and the late Mike Leach, innovator of the Air Raid offense and former head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State universities, who was honored posthumously with the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Heart of a Champion Award presented by St. Luke's Health.
Fans participated in the awards through the sixth annual Coach of the Year Fan Vote, sponsored by Accenture. Starting in August 2025, fans cast votes for their favorite coach online at https://bryantawards.org/fan-vote. Bob Chesney of James Madison University repeated as the winner of the Fan Vote, demonstrating sustained fan engagement with the program.
The Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award ceremony presented by Memorial Hermann Health System was broadcast on CBS Sports Network. For a recap of the event and behind-the-scenes details, visit https://facebook.com/bryantawards or https://x.com/bryantawards. To learn more about the awards' history and for 2027 event information, visit https://bryantawards.org.
