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Swinney wins Bear Bryant award for 3rd time in 4 years
HOUSTON (AP) — Dabo Swinney won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year award for the third time in four years Wednesday night, two days after leading Clemson to its second national championship in three years.
Swinney is the only three-time winner of the 33rd annual award, with Chris Petersen — the trophy holder in 2006 and 2009 at Boise State — the only other multiple winner.
Swinney was among seven finalists named for the annual award given to the nation's top college football coach — along with Bill Clark (UAB), Brian Kelly (Notre Dame), Josh Heupel (UCF), Jeff Monken (Army), Nick Saban (Alabama), and Jeff Tedford (Fresno State).
Frank Beamer, whose tenure as Virginia Tech's coach spanned 29 years, received the Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement award. It honors a coach for outstanding career accomplishments on and off the field. He won the coach of the year award in 1999.
