Patterson wins Bryant Award

Published Jan. 14, 2015 10:09 p.m. ET

foxsports

HOUSTON (AP) TCU coach Gary Patterson has been rewarded for helping the Horned Frogs to an impressive turnaround this season by winning the Paul ''Bear'' Bryant College Coach of the Year.

Patterson led the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record a year after they went 4-8.

He says: ''How can you not be honored by being mentioned in the same (sentence) as Bear Bryant?''

Patterson beat out Mississippi's Hugh Freeze and Boise State's Bryan Harsin for the honor. Alabama's Nick Saban and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher were originally finalists for the award, but were disqualified because they could not attend Wednesday's event.

Jimmy Johnson, who won a national title at Miami and back-to-back Super Bowls with the Cowboys was given the Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award.

The awards were given in conjunction with the American Heart Association.