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Dec. 29, 2003
HOUSTON-- The Houston Division of the American Heart Association today announced nine finalists for the award, as voted on by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Continuing this 46-year-old tradition, the winner will be chosen in a final round of balloting and named at an award dinner benefiting the American Heart Association on Jan. 15 at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston.
The finalists, in alphabetical order, are: Tommy Bowden, Clemson; Lloyd Carr, University of Michigan; Pete Carroll, University of Southern California; Terry Hoeppner, Miami University; Paul Johnson, United States Naval Academy; Steve Kragthorpe, University of Tulsa; Urban Meyer, University of Utah; Nick Saban, Louisiana State University; and Bob Stoops, University of Oklahoma.
Tommy Bowden: Clemson Tigers -- It's been a good year for Tommy Bowden and the Clemson Tigers. Under Bowden's direction, the Tigers finished the season strong with impressive wins over Duke, South Carolina, and FSU -- the highest ranked team Clemson has beaten in its school history. Clemson's victory over FSU also marked Bowden's first win against his father, head coach Bobby Bowden. Tommy Bowden is the first coach in NCAA history to defeat two 200-win or better coaches (Bobby Bowden and Lou Holtz) in the same month. When Bowden and the Tigers face the Tennessee Volunteers in January, it will mark his fifth straight bowl game for Bowden at Clemson. He is the first coach in ACC history to take a team to a bowl in each of his first five years.
Lloyd Carr: Michigan Wolverines -- When it comes to Coach Lloyd Carr, his record speaks for itself. Carr has led Michigan to a bowl game in every season at the helm, claimed the Big Ten title in three of the past six seasons and won the national championship. The first Wolverine coach to win four straight bowl games, Carr is in his ninth season as head coach at Michigan, though he has been with the football program there for 24 years. Carr is the fifth-winningest active Division 1-A football coach with a .767 winning percentage. In his first eight years as head mentor, he compiled a 76-23 overall record. Carr reached 25 wins faster than any current Big Ten coach and has produced some top NFL players.
Pete Carroll: USC Trojans -- When Pete Carroll joined USC, he brought with him an energy that revived the entire USC football program. Now ranked No. 1 in the AP and Coaches Poll, his Trojans have won their last 8 games and posted back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins. In his third year at USC, Carroll has guided the Trojans to an 11-1 record and won the Pac-10. In the past 7 games, USC has posted at least 40 points. Carroll's defense leads the nation in turnover margin. The Trojans are also first in the nation in net punting. Named Home Depot National Coach of the Year, Carroll, will lead his players at this year's Rose Bowl against Michigan.
Terry Hoeppner: Miami-Ohio Redhawks -- This season, Terry Hoeppner led the Redhawks to a school record with 12 wins and a berth in the GMAC Bowl. This 31st head football mentor of the Redhawks has a four-year record of 39-20 at the school. This year marks his fifth season as head coach of the Redhawks, but his 18th year with Miami-Ohio. During this time, Hoeppner has developed some of the nation's top defensive talent including a number of All-America and All-MAC players. He was also named MAC Coach of the Year, the first Miami coach to earn the honor since Dick Crum in 1974. Miami Ohio successfully beat Louisville 49-28 at the GMAC Bowl.
Paul Johnson: Navy Midshippmen -- Coach Paul Johnson has completely turned around a football program that suffered the worst two-year stretch in its 122- year history and held the third-worst record prior to his arrival. In just two short years, Johnson, who is a candidate for National Coach-Of-The-Year honors, has coached the Mids to rank first in the nation in rushing, averaging a school-record of 323.1 yards per contest, and beat a ranked opponent (Airforce) this season for the first time since 1985. Before joining the Naval Academy, Johnson posted a 62-9 record in five seasons with the Georgia Southern Eagles. Johnson won consecutive I-AA National Championships (1999 and 2000), five straight Southern Conference championships and was also named Division I-AA National Coach of the Year four straight times (1997-2000).
Steve Kragthorpe: Tulsa Golden Hurricanes -- In his first year at the University of Tulsa, Steve Kragthorpe has moved mountains. This season, he coached the Golden Hurricanes to complete the regular season with an 8-4 overall mark and a 6-2 second place record in the Western Athletic Conference. Kragthorpe's coaching has brought about Tulsa's current reputation as being "one of the great turnaround stories in college football." The Golden Hurricanes will play Georgia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 7th Annual Humanitarian Bowl Game in Boise, Idaho.
Urban Meyer: Utah Utes -- As head football coach for the Utah Utes, Urban Meyer has had quite a successful debut year. Sporting News named Meyer its National Coach of the Year, the first Ute football coach ever to win this honor. This season, this previously named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year led Utah to its first outright conference championship since 1957. Meyer is the only Utah head football coach to win a league title in his first year. His 9-2 record is also already the best for a first-year Ute head coach. The Utes wrapped up the season with a final regular season ranking of No. 25 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. This is only the second time that Utah has been ranked in the final regular season polls.
Nick Saban: LSU Tigers -- Recently named AP's Coach of the Year, Nick Saban is the first Tigers coach to post four consecutive winning seasons since head coach Charles McClendon from 1976-79. In Saban's four seasons, LSU has collected 38 wins. This season, the Tigers won a school-record 12 games, captured their second SEC title in three years, and earned a berth in the Sugar Bowl against OU. Saban came to LSU in 2000 from Michigan State and has turned LSU into one of the top programs in the country. His college coaching career dates back to 1973 and includes time with Navy, Ohio State, West Virginia, Syracuse and Kent State.
Bob Stoops: OU Sooners -- As the first OU head coach to lead his first three teams to bowl victories, Bob Stoops is no stranger to triumphs. With the highest scoring offense in the country and the No. 1 total defense in America, Stoops's Sooners know how to play college football. Five seasons have yielded three BCS Bowl games, two BCS Championship game berths and at least one win, two Big 12 titles and so much more. Under Stoops, Oklahoma has produced some of the most decorated players in college football with awards including several All-Americas, AP Player of the Year, Butkus finalists and Lombardi finalists. It is really no wonder every home game is a sell out.
With more than 800 members, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association was originally formed in 1959 to honor sportscasters and sportswriters in the Carolinas. In 1960, the NSSA expanded to a national association and annually recognizes the National Sportscaster of the Year and the National Sportswriter of the Year.
While the Coach of the Year Award has been an annual tradition since 1957, the American Heart Association adopted and re-named the award in 1986 to honor Paul "Bear" Bryant, who died of a heart attack in 1983. The Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year dinner and award presentation appropriately has become a major annual fund raiser for the Houston Division of the American Heart Association, with many business and community leaders and sports figures annually lending support to the event. Proceeds from last year's dinner assisted in the funding of more than 10 Houston-area research grants totaling more than $1.4 million. The American Heart Association leads the fight against heart disease and stroke through research, education and advocacy programs.
For more information on the award dinner, contact Robin Susman of the American Heart Association at 713.610.5081.
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