TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban was announced as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Trophy on Wednesday.

The Eddie Robinson award is given by the Football Writers Association of America. Saban won it in 2008 at Alabama, and 2003 at LSU.

The finalists are Bill Clark (UAB), Josh Heupbel (UCF), Brian Kelly (Notre Dame), Jeff Monken (Army), Lincoln Riley (Oklahoma), Dabo Swinney (Clemson) and Jeff Tedford (Fresno State).

The Dodd Award is for the coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom and in the community, and presented by the Peach Bowl. Saban won it in 2014.

The other finalists are Dino Babers (Syracuse), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) and Kirby Smart (Georgia) along with Kelly, Riley and Swinney.

Saban has led the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record, its 27th Southeastern Conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. This is the sixth time Alabama has won 13 games under Saban and the fifth consecutive season the Tide has won at least 12 games, the longest such streak in Football Bowl Subdivision history.



The Robinson Award winner will be announced Jan. 5, 2019 in San Jose, Calif., in conjunction with the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

The Dodd Trophy will be announced during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl week in Atlanta later this month.

Meanwhile, the he 2018 Home Depot Coach of the Year Award will be presented to Kelly on Thursday night. It'll be the third time he's won the award (2012 Notre Dame, 2007 Cincinnati), while Saban has won it only once in 2008.