HOUSTON — UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has been named a Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards Coach of the Year finalist.
Traylor joins Sonny Dykes (TCU), Willie Fritz (Tulane), Jim Harbaugh (Michigan), Josh Heupel (Tennessee) and Kirby Smart (Georgia) as finalists for the award, which recognizes the country's top college football coaches for their contributions both on and off the field, making the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life.
Now in its 37th year, the Coach of the Year award winner will be announced from Houston's Post Oak Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, during an awards ceremony presented by Marathon Oil. The live broadcast will air on Bally Sports Southwest sports channel, with proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association, the world's leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives. The awards will also be re-broadcasted nationwide on Bally Sports' family of networks. The winner of the Fan Vote will be revealed as well. There is still time to vote until Dec. 16 at https://bryantawards.org/fan-vote/.
"The American Heart Association could not be prouder to recognize these outstanding coaches and the impact they have had both on and off the field," said Mel Edwards, American Heart Association Houston Senior Vice President and Executive Director. "These finalists truly embody and honor the legacy of 'Bear' Bryant, and we wish them the best for the remainder of the season."
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 Bryant Awards' Executive Leadership Team and the Bryant family.
Last week, Traylor was chosen as one of eight finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. The two-time reigning Conference USA Coach of the Year has led UTSA to an 11-2 record, its second straight C-USA title and a bowl game for the third year in a row. Winners of 10 straight games, the Roadrunners are ranked in three different polls for the second straight year, as they are currently No. 22 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and 25th in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Taking over a team that won a combined seven games in the two years prior to his arrival, he has led the Roadrunners to a 30-9 record to become the winningest coach in program history in less than three full seasons. UTSA has posted the two best seasons by wins in program history after going 12-2 in 2021 and is one of just three Texas-based FBS schools to win at least 10 games in back-to-back years, joining Baylor and TCU. The Roadrunners are one of only three C-USA teams to go undefeated in league play since 2013, going 8-0 this fall, and they became just the third C-USA team ever to capture two straight crowns after defeating North Texas 48-27 on Dec. 2 to join East Carolina (2008-09) and Western Kentucky (2015-16).
In his debut campaign, Traylor guided the Roadrunners to a 7-5 overall record, a runner-up finish in C-USA's West Division with a 5-2 mark and an appearance in the First Responder Bowl. The Roadrunners received votes in a national poll for the first time in program history and the seven wins are the most by a first-year UTSA head coach.
UTSA enjoyed a record-setting campaign in Traylor's second season. The Roadrunners won their first 11 games, were nationally ranked (as high as No. 15) for the first time in school history and captured the program's first league title by winning the 2021 C-USA Championship with a 49-41 victory over WKU. UTSA capped the season with its second straight and third overall bowl appearance. Traylor was honored for his success as the 2021 C-USA Coach of the Year and AFCA FBS Regional Coach of the Year for Region 4 as well as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, AFCA National Coach of the Year and George Munger College Coach of the Year Award. He also was chosen as the 2021 San Antonio Express-News Sportsman of the Year.
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