Dabo Swinney vanquished Bear Bryant‘s former team in the national championship game earlier in the week. Last night, the Clemson head coach claimed an award named in the legend’s honor. Again.
At a ceremony Wednesday, Swinney was named as the 2016 recipient of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year award. Swinney won the award last year, and is the first in its history to win it in back-to-back seasons.
The former Alabama walk-on becomes just the second two-time winner, joining Boise State’s Chris Petersen (2006, 2009).
Monday night, Swinney guided the Tigers to its first national championship in more than three decades.
Swinney and his counterpart on the opposing sideline, Nick Saban, were two of the nine finalists for the award. The other seven included Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), P.J. Fleck (Western Michigan), James Franklin (Penn State), Clay Helton (USC), Dana Holgorsen (West Virginia), Mike MacIntyre (Colorado) and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma).