American Athletic Conference football individual awards

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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.

Contents

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
Player (X)Denotes the number of times the player has been selected
Positions key
QB Quarterback RB Running back TE Tight end WR Wide receiver
Class key
FrFreshmanSoSophomoreJrJuniorSrSenior
SeasonPlayerSchoolPositionClass
2013 Blake Bortles UCF QBJr
2014 Shane Carden [2] East Carolina QBSr
2015 Keenan Reynolds [3] Navy QBSr
2016 Quinton Flowers [4] USF QBJr
2017 McKenzie Milton [5] UCF QBSo
2018 McKenzie Milton (2) [6] UCF QBJr
2019 Malcolm Perry [7] Navy QBSr
2020 Desmond Ridder [8] Cincinnati QBJr
2021 Desmond Ridder (2) [9] Cincinnati QBSr
2022 Tyjae Spears [10] Tulane RBJr
2023 Michael Pratt [11] Tulane QBSr
2024 Bryson Daily [12] Army QBSr

Winners by school

School (Seasons)WinnersYears
UCF (2013–2022)32013, 2017, 2018
Cincinnati (2013–2022)22020, 2021
Navy (2015–)22015, 2019
Tulane (2014–)22022, 2023
Army (2024–)12024
East Carolina (2014–)12014
USF (2013–)12016

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
Player (X)Denotes the number of times the player has been selected
Positions key
DE Defensive end DT Defensive tackle LB Linebacker S Safety
Class key
FrFreshmanSoSophomoreJrJuniorSrSenior
SeasonPlayerSchoolPositionClass
2013 Marcus Smith Louisville DESr
2014 † Jacoby Glenn [2] UCF CBSo
2014†Tank Jakes [2] Memphis LBSr
2015 Tyler Matakevich [3] Temple LBSr
2016 Shaquem Griffin [4] UCF LBJr
2017 Ed Oliver [5] Houston DTSo
2018 Nate Harvey [6] East Carolina DESr
2019 Quincy Roche [7] Temple DEJr
2020 * Zaven Collins [8] Tulsa LBJr
2021 * Sauce Gardner [9] Cincinnati CBJr
2022 Ivan Pace Jr. [10] Cincinnati LBSr
2023 Trey Moore [11] UTSA LBSo
2024 Jimmori Robinson [12] UTSA LBSr

Winners by school

School (Seasons)WinnersYears
Cincinnati (2013–2022)22021, 2022
Temple (2013–)22015, 2019
UCF (2013–2022)22014, 2016
UTSA (2023–)22023, 2024
East Carolina (2014–)12018
Houston (2013–2022)12017
Memphis (2013–)12014
Louisville (2013)12013
Tulsa (2014–)12020

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
Player (X)Denotes the number of times the player has been selected
Positions key
K Placekicker KR Kick returner P Punter PR Punt returner RSReturn specialist
Class key
FrFreshmanSoSophomoreJrJuniorSrSenior
SeasonPlayerSchoolPositionClass
2013 † Demarcus Ayers Houston RSFr
2013† Tom Hornsey Memphis PSr
2014 Jake Elliott [2] Memphis KSo
2015 Jake Elliott (2) [3] Memphis KJr
2016 Tony Pollard [4] Memphis KRFr
2017 Tony Pollard (2) [5] Memphis KRSo
2018 Isaiah Wright [6] Temple RSJr
2019 †Dane Roy [7] Houston PSr
2019† Antonio Gibson [7] Memphis RSSr
2020 Chris Naggar [8] SMU KSr
2021 Marcus Jones [9] Houston RSSr
2022 Mason Fletcher [10] Cincinnati PSo
2023 LaJohntay Wester [11] Florida Atlantic RSJr
2024 Jonah Delange [12] UAB KSo

Winners by school

School (Seasons)WinnersYears
Memphis (2013–)62013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
Houston (2013–2022)32013, 2019, 2021
Cincinnati (2013–2022)12022
Florida Atlantic (2023–)12023
SMU (2013–)12020
Temple (2013–)12018
UTSA (2023–)12024

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
Player (X)Denotes the number of times the player has been selected
Positions key
DE Defensive end LB Linebacker OT Offensive tackle QB Quarterback
S Safety RB Running back WR Wide receiver TE Tight end
SeasonPlayerSchoolPosition
2013 John O'Korn Houston QB
2014 Marlon Mack [2] South Florida RB
2015 Tre'Quan Smith [3] UCF WR
2016 Ed Oliver [4] Houston DT
2017 T. J. Carter [5] Memphis CB
2018 Desmond Ridder [6] Cincinnati QB
2019 Kenneth Gainwell [7] Memphis RB
2020 †Rahjai Harris [8] East Carolina RB
2020† Ulysses Bentley IV [8] SMU RB
2021 Alton McCaskill [9] Houston RB
2022 E.J. Warner [10] Temple QB
2023 Makhi Hughes [11] Tulane RB
2024 Joseph Williams [12] Tulsa WR

Winners by school

School (Seasons)WinnersYears
Houston (2013–2022)32013, 2016, 2021
Memphis (2013–)22017, 2019
Cincinnati (2013–2022)12018
East Carolina (2014–)12020
SMU (2013–)12020
Temple (2013–)12022
Tulane (2014–)12023
Tulsa (2014–)12024
USF (2013–)12014
UCF (2013–2022)12015

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.

George O'Leary, the 2013 winner George O'Leary-1.jpg
George O'Leary, the 2013 winner
*Unanimous selection
†Co-Coach of the Year
Coach (X)Denotes the number of times the coach has been selected
SeasonCoachSchoolYear with schoolRecord
2013 George O'Leary UCF 10th11–1
2014 Justin Fuente [2] Memphis 3rd9–3
2015† Tom Herman [3] Houston 1st11–1
2015† Ken Niumatalolo [3] Navy 8th9–2
2016 Ken Niumatalolo (2) [4] Navy 9th9–2
2017 Scott Frost [5] UCF 2nd12–0
2018 Luke Fickell [6] Cincinnati 2nd11–2
2019 Ken Niumatalolo (3) [7] Navy 12th11–2
2020 Luke Fickell (2) [8] Cincinnati 4th9–1
2021 Luke Fickell (3) [9] Cincinnati 5th12–0
2022 Willie Fritz [10] Tulane 7th10–2
2023 Willie Fritz [11] Tulane 8th11–1
2024 Jeff Monken [12] Army 11th10–1

Winners by school

School (Seasons)WinnersYears
Cincinnati (2013–2022)32018, 2020, 2021
Navy (2015–)32015, 2016, 2019
Tulane (2014–)22022, 2023
UCF (2013–2022)22013, 2017
Army (2024–)12024
Houston (2013–2022)12015
Memphis (2013–)12014

Footnotes

References

  1. 1 2 American Athletic Conference (December 11, 2013). "American Athletic Conference Announces 2013 Postseason Football Honors" . Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "American Athletic Conference Announces 2014 Postseason Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "2015 Postseason Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "American Athletic Conference Announces 2016 Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "2017 American Athletic Conference Football Postseason Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. November 29, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "UCF's Milton, ECU's Harvey, Temple's Wright Named as American Players of the Year" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. November 28, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "American Announces 2019 Postseason Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 4, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "American Announces 2020 Football Postseason Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "American Announces 2021 Football Postseason Honors". theAmerican.org. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "2022 Postseason Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "2024 Postseason Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "American Announces 2024 Football Award Winners".
  13. ↑ "ACC votes to add Louisville". Sports Illustrated . November 28, 2012. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
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