Phillip Fulmer Recipient of Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award

HOUSTON – Phillip Fulmer, who guided Tennessee to a pair of Southeastern Conference championships and the inaugural BCS National Championship, is the recipient of the American Heart Association’s 2026 Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award.

The honor is given yearly to school soccer’s most interesting coaches recognizing the excellent achievements and extraordinary contributions made all through their careers. The Lifetime Achievement Award will probably be introduced on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 in the course of the Association’s annual Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Awards ceremony, in Houston, Texas. The ceremony, introduced by Memorial Hermann Health System, will probably be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.

 

The American Heart Association, a relentless power altering the way forward for well being for everybody all over the place, presents the Bear Bryant Awards yearly to have a good time excellence in teaching, to honor coach Bryant’s legacy, and to boost consciousness and significant funds for its mission. The teaching legend died from a coronary heart assault in 1983, simply 28 days after his ultimate victory and retirement.

 

“Coach Fulmer has touched the lives of countless young people and we congratulate him on this accomplishment,” mentioned Nancy Brown, American Heart Association Chief Executive Officer. “Recognizing legendary careers of outstanding coaches honors the memory and achievements of Paul “Bear” Bryant. The funds raised at the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Awards ceremony help the American Heart Association to continue to work to better diagnose, treat and prevent heart disease.”

 

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a coach for excellent profession accomplishments each on and off the soccer discipline. Now in its 27^th 12 months, The Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award is given primarily based on three areas of standards as decided by the Bryant household and voted on by the National Sports Media Association:

• Integrity each on and off the sector above reproach.
• Leadership, dedication, and creating the character, integrity, and sportsmanship of younger individuals on and off the soccer discipline, and
• Inspiration and instruction within the growth of abilities of the sport and bodily health of their gamers.

“I am extremely honored to receive the Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award that honors the amazing legacy and accomplishments of Coach Bryant,” mentioned Fulmer. “I adopted and admired Coach Bryant from slightly man all by means of his profession, and I’m 
humbled to obtain this award that bears his identify and people who obtained the award previously.”
 
Fulmer joins a listing of school soccer teaching greats that features Grant Teaff (2025), Lloyd Carr (2024), Bob Stoops (2023), John Robinson (2022), Howard Schellenberger (2021), Bill Snyder (2020), and Frank Beamer (2019).
 
One of probably the most distinguished coaches in Southeastern Conference historical past, Fulmer took over as Tennessee’s head coach in 1992 and compiled a report of 152-52 over 17 seasons. Under his steering, the Volunteers gained SEC titles in 1997 and 1998, utilizing that excellent 1998 marketing campaign to steer Tennessee to the inaugural BCS National Championship after beating Florida State within the 1999 Fiesta Bowl. Six of Fulmer’s groups captured a minimum of a share of the SEC division title, and Fulmer posted an ideal 5-0 report when going through off towards groups ranked No. 1 nationally.
 
In his 17 seasons on the helm of the Tennessee program, Tennessee posted 9 seasons with ten or extra wins. Fulmer’s Volunteers have been at their finest inside the pleasant confines of Neyland Stadium, posting an 88-19 report at residence throughout his tenure.
 
More than 90 of Fulmer’s former gamers ultimately performed within the National Football League, with 70 of his gamers incomes first workforce all-Southeastern Conference honors. Fulmer coached two William V. Campbell Trophy winners in Peyton Manning and Michael Munoz, and 19 of Fulmer’s gamers have been named first workforce all-America.
 
A local of Winchester, Tennessee, Fulmer was an offensive lineman for the Volunteers from 1969-71, ultimately being named a co-captain and capturing all-Southeastern Conference honors. He moved onto the sidelines as a pupil coach for the 1972 and 1973 seasons, serving as linebacker coach and defensive coordinator for the Vols’ freshman workforce. After commencement, Fulmer spent 5 years on workers at Wichita State University, teaching the offensive line in 1974 and 1977-78, in addition to the linebackers in 1975-76.
 
Fulmer returned to his residence state in 1979, serving because the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Vanderbilt University, earlier than returning to his alma mater within the 1980 season. Fulmer serve 13 years as an assistant coach for the Vols, teaching the offensive line from 1980-1988 earlier than including offensive coordinator duties within the 1989 season.
 
In 1992, Fulmer led Tennessee to a 3-0 begin because the workforce’s interim head coach whereas then-head coach Johnny Majors recovered from quintuple-bypass coronary heart surgical procedure. After the workforce’s ultimate regular-season recreation, Majors resigned and Fulmer turned the workforce’s 20^th head coach, main the Volunteers to a 38-23 victory over No. 16 Boston College within the Hall of Fame Bowl.
 
Fulmer coached his ultimate recreation at Tennessee on Nov. 29, 2008, a 28-10 win over the University of Kentucky. That win moved Fulmer’s all-time report towards the Wildcats to 17-0.
 
In recognition of his accomplishments at Tennessee, Fulmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
 
Widely often known as one of many prime recruiters within the nation, Fulmer had a knack for attracting prime expertise to Rocky Top, and through his tenure, the Volunteers had a seven-game successful streak over longtime rival Alabama from 1995 to 2001. That successful stream marked the longest for a Tennessee coach within the Third Saturday in October. Only Nick Saban (15 wins from 2007-2021) and Bear Bryant (11 wins from 1971-81) had longer successful streaks within the collection.
 
After stepping down as head coach, Fulmer remained an influential voice within the recreation. Fulmer hung out as an analyst on CBS’ SEC Postgame Show, and appeared on a number of packages on the CBS Sports Network. In 2017, Fulmer returned to his alma mater, first as particular advisor to the president earlier than being named the director of athletics on Dec. 1, 2017. 
 
A member of the 2018 SEC Legends Class, Fulmer was named East Tennesseean of the Year by the East Tennessee Historical Society in 2019. Later that 12 months, Fulmer was named to ESPN’s checklist of the highest 150 faculty soccer coaches to have a good time the 150^th anniversary of the game.
 
The Lifetime Achievement Award is one in every of 5 honors introduced yearly in the course of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Ceremony. This 12 months’s ceremony will probably be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 in Houston and can air on CBS Sports Network. In addition to Lifetime Achievement, extra awards can even be bestowed for Heart of a Champion, Fan Favorite, the Newcomer Coach of the Year, and the 2025 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year.