Paterno on Bryant Coach of Year List

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno has been named to the Paul "Bear" Bryant College Football Coach of the Year Watch List.

Joe Paterno received the inaugural Bryant Coach of the Year Award in 1986 and was a finalist for the honor in both 1994 and 2005. Paterno is a candidate for the honor for the second consecutive year, thanks to an 11-2 record, the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl berth in 2008.

Paterno joins the following coaches on the 2009 Bryant Award watch list:

Robb Akey (Idaho)
Mack Brown (Texas)
Pete Carroll (USC)
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)
Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech)
Brian Kelly (Cincinnati)
Chip Kelly (Oregon)
Bronco Mendenhall (BYU)
Urban Meyer (Florida)
Les Miles (LSU)
Gary Patterson (TCU)
Chris Petersen (Boise State)
Nick Saban (Alabama)
Randy Shannon (Miami)
Bill Stewart (West Virginia)
Kevin Sumlin (Houston)
Dave Wannstedt (Pittsburgh)

Paterno is in his 44th season as Penn State's head coach and 60th season as a member of the PSU coaching staff. This season he's led the Nittany Lions to a 7-1 record and No. 12 ranking in the Bowl Championship Series rankings.

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