LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Head Football Coach Lance Leipold is this week’s Bear Bryant Awards Fan Vote Favorite Coach of the Week. Leipold received the honor after the Jayhawks defeating No. 6 Oklahoma 38-33 on Saturday in Lawrence to improve to 6-2 on the season.
This is the first career Bear Bryant Award weekly honor for Leipold and his second coaching honor of the week. On Monday, Leipold was selected as the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week. Each week of the regular season, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards recognizes a coach for their commitment to exceeding on-field expectations.
In front of a national audience including FOX Big Noon Kickoff, Leipold led Kansas to a 38-33 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma on Saturday, marking the Jayhawks’ first victory over the Sooners since 1997. The win also marked Kansas’ first regular season win over a top-10 opponent since 1995, and the first win over a top-10 opponent in Lawrence since defeating No. 2 Oklahoma in 1984. With the win, Kansas has now qualified for a bowl game in each of the past two seasons. Prior to Leipold’s arrival, KU’s last played in a bowl game following the 2008 regular season.
Twenty-six active college football coaches, including Leipold, make up the American Heart Association’s 2023 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list, a list of current coaches in consideration for the annual top honor.
The award is given each January to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field. Kansas fans can vote for Leipold to receive the Fan Vote award by clicking here. The coach that ends the season with the most votes will be celebrated during the televised broadcast of the Bryant Awards in January.
Kansas returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 4, with a trip to Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. CT from Jack Trice Stadium, with the game televised on ESPN.
