Rice’s Bailiff and Baylor’s Brilles finalists for AHA’s 2013 Coach of the Year award

HOUSTON — The American Heart Association, an organization devoted to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke, announced Wednesday the 2013 Coach of the Year finalists for the Marathon Oil Corporation Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards. The 2013 Coach of the Year finalists are David Bailiff (Rice), Art Briles (Baylor), Mark Dantonio (Michigan State), Gus Malzahn (Auburn) and David Shaw (Stanford).

The 28^th annual event on Wednesday, Jan. 15 in Houston, Texas will bring together the nation’s top performing college coaches and sports enthusiasts to raise funds for heart disease in the name of Paul “Bear” Bryant.

At the event, R.C. Slocum, one of the longest-serving and winningest football coaches in Texas A&M history, will also be recognized with the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at the event. The award recognizes excellence in coaching on and off the field during a career, allowing recipients to take their place in history alongside legends such as Paul “Bear” Bryant. Recent Lifetime Achievement recipients include Barry Switzer, Vince Dooley, Bobby Bowden,Hayden Fry and LaVell Edwards.

Funds raised benefit heart disease and stroke research, community education and outreach programs of the American Heart Association. For more information on the Bryant Awards, or to purchase tickets or a table for the event, visit www.bryantawards.com or call 713-610-5000.