Chizik wins Bowden Coach of Year Award

Auburn's Gene Chizik has won the Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award.

The winner is selected by the Over the Mountain Touchdown Club in Birmingham and the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. The groups announced their pick on Monday.

Alabama's Nick Saban won the inaugural award last season. He and Chizik both led their teams to national titles.

The award is named after former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, a Birmingham native.

Chizik called it ''obviously a great honor to be associated with not just a great coach but a great individual like Bobby Bowden.''

Bowden will present the award to Chizik on March 6 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center in Birmingham.