Utah Utes football: Whittingham a finalist of Bryant coaching award

University of Utah head football coach Kyle Whittingham has been named as a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant College Football Coach of the Year award.

Whittingham is also a finalist for the Liberty Mutual and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year awards after leading Utah to a school record-tying 12-0 record, the Mountain West Conference championship (Utah went 8-0 in league games) and a berth in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. He was named the MWC Coach of the Year.

Joining Whittingham as Bear Bryant award finalists are: Mack Brown, Texas; Turner Gill, Buffalo; Mike Leach, Texas Tech; Houston Nutt, Mississippi; Chris Petersen, Boise State; Nick Saban, Alabama, and Bob Stoops, Oklahoma.

The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA) votes on the winner, who is announced an awards dinner on Jan. 15, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston.