This coach-of-the-year thing is becoming old hat for Chip Kelly.
For the fourth time since the season ended, the Oregon head coach is the recipient of a major coaching award, this time being named as the Associated Press Coach of the Year. Kelly had previously been named coach of the year by the Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
The Eugene Register Guard reports that this particular award, per his contract with the school, earns the second-year coach a $25,000 bonus.
Kelly received 24 of the 55 votes cast, outpacing runner-up and title game opponent Gene Chizik of Auburn. Chizik received 17 votes.
Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh was next with five votes, followed by TCU’s Gary Patterson, last year’s winner, and Mark Dantonio of Michigan State with three votes apiece. Three coaches -- Nevada’s Chris Ault, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and former Miami of Ohio and current Pittsburgh coach Mike Haywood -- each received a vote.