Mike Leach to Receive Posthumous Paul 'Bear' Bryant Heart of a Champion Award
The American Heart Association will honor the late football coach Mike Leach with its 2026 Heart of a Champion Award, recognizing his revolutionary impact on college football and community influence while highlighting the importance of cardiovascular health awareness.
The American Heart Association will posthumously honor Mike Leach, one of college football's most innovative coaches, with the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Heart of a Champion Award. Leach, who died from a heart attack in December 2022 at age 61, will be recognized for his transformative impact on the game and the communities he served throughout his coaching career. The award ceremony, presented by Houston-based St. Luke's Health, will take place on January 21, 2026, in Houston and air on CBS Sports Network.
Nancy Brown, American Heart Association chief executive officer, emphasized Leach's enduring legacy. "Coach Leach's impact transcended the game he loved," Brown said. "He inspired generations with his innovative spirit, authenticity and fearless leadership - qualities that embody the enduring legacy of Coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant and the American Heart Association." The Heart of a Champion Award recognizes individuals whose contributions and positive influence have helped define sports experiences while exemplifying characteristics for which Coach Bryant was known, including integrity, perseverance, determination and grit.
Leach revolutionized college football through his development of the air raid offensive system, transforming passing attacks across the collegiate landscape. During his head coaching tenures at Texas Tech University, Washington State University and Mississippi State University, he fine-tuned an offensive approach that shattered records and produced two NFL-drafted quarterbacks. Tim Couch of the University of Kentucky was selected first overall in the 1999 NFL draft, while current Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was taken as a sixth-round pick in 2003.
Throughout his 21-season head coaching career, Leach's teams compiled a 158-106 record and achieved remarkable success against ranked opponents. His squads won 18 games over AP-ranked teams while being unranked themselves - the most such victories since the AP poll began in 1998. Following the 2008 season, when his Texas Tech Red Raiders posted an 11-2 record and secured a Cotton Bowl berth, Leach received multiple coaching honors including Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, the Woody Hayes Trophy and the George Munger Award.
Sharon Leach, the coach's widow, will accept the award on her husband's behalf. "Our family is truly honored that Mike will be receiving the Heart of a Champion award," she said. "We're grateful to the American Heart Association and the Bear Bryant Awards for this recognition of Mike's contribution to college football." Previous recipients of the Heart of a Champion Award include Mark Richt (2025), Olivia and Archie Manning (2024), Mark Dantonio (2023), David Shaw (2022), Sylvester Croom (2021) and Lee Corso (2020).
The American Heart Association presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate coaching excellence, honor Coach Bryant's legacy, and raise awareness and critical funds for its mission. Coach Bryant himself died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement. The Heart of a Champion Award is selected by the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards Executive Leadership Team and represents one of five honors presented during the annual ceremony. Fans can follow the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards and track progress of the awards at https://facebook.com/bryantawards, https://x.com/bryantawards or by following the hashtag #BryantAwards.