Nick Saban Named Finalist for 2016 George Munger Award

The Maxwell Football Club (MFC) announced today three finalists for the 2016 George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award. Named as finalists are P.J. Fleck (Western Michigan), Mike MacIntyre (Colorado) and Nick Saban (Alabama).

Fleck has guided the WMU football team to its first New Year's Six bowl-the Goodyear Cotton Bowl-following a perfect 13-0 regular season that included its first Mid-American Conference Championship since 1988. The Broncos defeated Ohio in the MAC championship game and last week, Fleck was named MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three seasons. Under Fleck's guidance, the Broncos finished 8-0 in conference play and became the first team in MAC history to win each of its league games by 14 or more points. Fleck is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and AFCA Coach of the year awards.

In addition to helping construct Colorado's turnaround that is the greatest in Pac-12 Conference history, MacIntyre's Buffaloes this year became only the ninth Power-5 team since 1972 to jump from four or fewer wins one year up to 10 or more wins the next. The Buffs were 4-9 overall in 2015, but currently stand at 10-3 heading into the Dec. 29 Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio where they will face No. 13 Oklahoma State. Colorado enters the bowl game - its first since 2007 - ranked No. 10 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25. MacIntyre has already been named the Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year, was named the 2016 Walter Camp Coach of the Year and most recently was awarded the Home Depot Coach of the Year award.

In his 10th season at Alabama, Saban has led the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record, its 26th SEC championship and a No. 1 seed in the 2016 College Football Playoff. This is the ninth consecutive season the Tide has won 10 games under Saban and the sixth straight with 11 wins. Alabama will enter the 2016 postseason on a 25-game winning streak, the longest current streak in the nation. Alabama has gone wire-to-wire with a No. 1 ranking so far, something only two other teams in college football history have achieved. In addition to the Munger Award honor Saban also joins Fleck and MacIntyre as finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and the AFCA Coach of the Year Awards.

Voting opens Wednesday for the finalist selection for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year. Eligible voters include NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and football Sports Information Directors, Maxwell Football Club members and selected national media. The winner announcement will be made on December 29, 2016, and the award will be formally presented at the 80th Maxwell Awards Gala, which will be held on March 10, 2017 at the Tropicana Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.