American Athletic Conference football individual awards explained
The American Athletic Conference (The American) gives five football awards at the conclusion of every season. The awards were first given in 2013, following the restructuring of the Big East Conference. The awards existed in the same format in the Big East from 1991 to 2012.
The five awards include Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Special Teams Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year. Recipients are selected by the votes of the conference's head coaches.[1]
Offensive Player of the Year
The Offensive Player of the Year is awarded to the player voted most outstanding at an offensive position.
Winners
| Unanimous selection |
| † | Co-Player of the Year |
| Denotes the number of times the player has been selected | |
Winners by school
| School (Seasons) | Winners | Years |
|---|
| UCF (2013–2022) | 3 | 2013, 2017, 2018 |
| Cincinnati (2013–2022) | 2 | 2020, 2021 |
| Navy (2015–) | 2 | 2015, 2019 |
| Tulane (2014–) | 2 | 2022, 2023 |
| East Carolina (2014–) | 1 | 2014 |
| USF (2013–) | 1 | 2016 | |
Defensive Player of the Year
The Defensive Player of the Year is awarded to the player voted most outstanding at a defensive position.
Winners
| Unanimous selection |
| † | Co-Player of the Year |
| Denotes the number of times the player has been selected | |
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
|---|
| | | DE | |
| 2014† | | | CB | |
| 2014† | | | LB | |
| | | LB | |
| | | LB | |
| | | DT | |
| | | DE | |
| | | DE | |
| 2020 | | | LB | |
| 2021 | | | CB | |
| | | LB | |
| | | LB | | |
Winners by school
Special Teams Player of the Year
The Special Teams Player of the Year award is given to the player voted best on special teams. The recipient can either be a placekicker, punter, returner, or a position known as a gunner.
Winners
| Unanimous selection |
| † | Co-Player of the Year |
| Denotes the number of times the player has been selected | |
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
|---|
| 2013† | | | RS | |
| 2013† | | | P | |
| | | K | |
| (2) | | K | |
| | | KR | |
| (2) | | KR | |
| | | RS | |
| 2019† | Dane Roy | | P | |
| 2019† | | | RS | |
| | | K | |
| | | RS | |
| | | P | |
| | | RS | | |
Winners by school
Rookie of the Year
The Rookie of the Year award is given to the conference's best freshman.
Winners
| Unanimous selection |
| † | Co-Player of the Year |
| Denotes the number of times the player has been selected | |
| Season | Player | School | Position |
|---|
| 2013 | | | QB |
| | | RB |
| | | WR |
| | | DT |
| | | CB |
| | | QB |
| | | RB |
| 2020† | | | RB |
| 2020† | | | RB |
| | | RB |
| | | QB |
| | | RB | |
Winners by school
Coach of the Year
George O'Leary won the first award with UCF after an 11–1 regular season in which UCF earned The American's last automatic berth to a BCS bowl game, the first major bowl appearance in school history.[1]
Winners
Records reflect those at the time of selection, and do not include the conference championship game, the Army–Navy Game (which takes place a week after the conference title game), or bowl games.
| Unanimous selection |
| † | Co-Coach of the Year |
| Denotes the number of times the coach has been selected | |
| Season | Coach | School | Year with school | Record |
|---|
| 2013 | | | 10th | 11–1 |
| 2014 | | | 3rd | 9–3 |
| 2015† | | | 1st | 11–1 |
| 2015† | | | 8th | 9–2 |
| 2016 | (2) | | 9th | 9–2 |
| 2017 | | | 2nd | 12–0 |
| 2018 | | | 2nd | 11–2 |
| 2019 | (3) | | 12th | 11–2 |
| 2020 | (2) | | 4th | 9–1 |
| 2021 | (3) | | 5th | 12–0 |
| 2022 | | | 7th | 10–2 |
| 2023 | | | 8th | 11–1 | |
Winners by school
| School (Seasons) | Winners | Years |
|---|
| Cincinnati (2013–2022) | 3 | 2018, 2020, 2021 |
| Navy (2015–) | 3 | 2015, 2016, 2019 |
| Tulane (2014–) | 2 | 2022, 2023 |
| UCF (2013–2022) | 2 | 2013, 2017 |
| Houston (2013–2022) | 1 | 2015 |
| Memphis (2013–) | 1 | 2014 | |
Footnotes
Notes and References
- Web site: American Athletic Conference Announces 2013 Postseason Football Honors . December 11, 2013 . American Athletic Conference . December 31, 2013.
- American Athletic Conference Announces 2014 Postseason Football Honors . American Athletic Conference . December 10, 2014 . December 17, 2014.
- 2015 Postseason Football Honors . American Athletic Conference . December 2, 2015 . December 10, 2015.
- American Athletic Conference Announces 2016 Football Honors . American Athletic Conference . November 30, 2016. November 30, 2016.
- 2017 American Athletic Conference Football Postseason Honors. American Athletic Conference. November 29, 2017.
- UCF's Milton, ECU's Harvey, Temple's Wright Named as American Players of the Year . American Athletic Conference . November 28, 2018 . December 1, 2018.
- American Announces 2019 Postseason Football Honors . American Athletic Conference . December 4, 2019 . February 22, 2020.
- American Announces 2020 Football Postseason Honors . American Athletic Conference . December 15, 2020 . December 15, 2020.
- Web site: American Announces 2021 Football Postseason Honors . theAmerican.org . December 1, 2021.
- 2022 Postseason Football Honors . American Athletic Conference . November 30, 2022 . November 30, 2022.
- 2023 Postseason Football Honors . American Athletic Conference . November 29, 2023 . November 29, 2023.
- News: ACC votes to add Louisville . . December 31, 2013. November 28, 2012.
