South Alabama Football’s Wommack selected to Paul “Bear” Bryant Award Watch List

By Press release submission

Oct 20, 2022

For the second day in a row, the South Alabama football program received national attention as a member was named to another watch list. Second-year Jaguar head coach Kane Wommack was one of 25 active college football coaches to be selected to the American Heart Association's 2022 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list as announced by the AMH on Tuesday.

The award is given each January to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life- both on and off the field.

Wommack and the Jaguars are in the midst of one of the program's best seasons as they currently lead the Sun Belt Conference West Division with a 5-1 overall record and a 2-0 league record. South is set to host in-state conference rival Troy Thursday night before a nationally televised audience as the "Battle For The Belt" will kick off at 6:30 p.m. and aired on ESPNU.

Now in its 37th year, the Coach of the Year award winner will be announced live from Houston's Post Oak Hotel on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, during an awards ceremony presented by Marathon Oil. The Watch List, Finalists and Coach of the Year recipient are voted on by the National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards' Executive Leadership Team and the Bryant Family. The Coach of the Year Finalist List will be announced on December 13.

In addition to the Coach of the Year, the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards will also present Conference Coach of the Year Awards from each of the Power Five collegiate athletic conferences (Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference) and one from the Group of Five conferences (American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference and Sun Belt Conference). The 2022 award cycle marks just the third year that the individual conference coach recognitions will be granted.

Fans can follow the action at facebook.com/bryantawards, twitter.com/bryantawards or Instagram.com/bryantawards or the hashtag #BryantAwards. For more information on the awards, sponsorship opportunities, or to attend the 2023 Bryant Awards, contact dan.darmond@heart.org or visit bryantawards.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

The American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives for all, and the Bryant family present this award annually to celebrate Bear Bryant's legacy and raise awareness and critical funds for scientific research to eliminate needless suffering and death from cardiovascular disease and stroke, the leading causes of death globally. The football coaching legend died from a heart attack in 1983.

FOLLOW THE JAGS

For complete coverage of South Alabama football, follow the Jags on social media @SouthAlabamaFB (Twitter), /SouthAlabamaFB (Facebook), @SouthAlabamaFB (Instagram) or visit the official home of South Alabama athletics at usajaguars.com.

The 2022 Watch List includes (in alphabetical order):

Atlantic Coast Conference

Dino Babers - Syracuse University

Mack Brown - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dave Clawson - Wake Forest University

Dabo Swinney - Clemson University

Big Ten Conference

Bret Bielema - University of Illinois

Ryan Day - Ohio State University

Jim Harbaugh - University of Michigan

Big 12 Conference

Sonny Dykes - Texas Christian University