Former Tennessee football coach and athletic director Phillip Fulmer will receive the 2026 Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Heart Association announced Oct. 13.
Fulmer will receive the award on Jan. 21, 2026, during the association’s annual Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Awards ceremony in Houston. The event will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
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Fulmer led the Vols to the inaugural BCS national championship with an undefeated season in 1998, along with two SEC championships.
“I am extremely honored to receive the Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award that honors the amazing legacy and accomplishments of Coach Bryant,” Fulmer said in a news release. “I followed and admired Coach Bryant from a little guy all through his career, and I am humbled to receive this award that bears his name and those that received the award in the past. I am also appreciative of all the great work the American Heart Association does for our country. It is a fantastic and much needed organization.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a football coach for outstanding career accomplishments and extraordinary contributions made throughout a career. The American Heart Association presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to honor Bryant’s legacy and raise awareness and funds for its mission.
Fulmer was Tennessee football coach from 1992 to 2008 and had a record of 152-52 during 17 seasons. The Winchester, Tennessee, native was named national coach of the year in 1998 after the Vols beat Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl to win the BCS national championship.
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Fulmer sent more than 90 players to the NFL, 70 of his players earned first-team All-SEC honors and 19 were named first team All-Americans.
Fulmer was an offensive lineman for Tennessee from 1969-71. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Fulmer was the athletic director at Tennessee from 2017-21.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Tennessee coach, AD Phillip Fulmer receives Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Award
