MacIntyre A Finalist for AFCA Comeback Coach of the Year

WACO, Texas – University of Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre was named Wednesday a finalist for the inaugural AFCA Comeback Coach of the Year Award.

MacIntyre, in his fourth season at Colorado, is also a finalist for the AFCA National Coach of the Year Award. Both that award and the Comeback Coach of the Year Award will be presented live on CBS Sports Network on Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. MT. The awards show is taking place at the Grand Ole Opry House during the 2017 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

The finalists for Comeback Coach of the Year, who were voted on by Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches, include Chris Creighton from Eastern Michigan and Paul Petrino from Idaho along with MacIntyre.

The winner of this award is a head coach who faced significant obstacles or adversity in the past or current season, but led his team to a great season despite the adversity. Examples might be losing a key player or players to injury, but still having a successful season; a head coach coming back from illness; dealing with a difficult situation at his university; or bouncing back from a bad season.

MacIntyre and the Buffaloes fashioned one of the best turnarounds in major college football history, improving off of the 4-9 2015 season to a 10-3 record this year while winning the Pac-12 South Division championship and ranking No. 10 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. CU this year became only the ninth Power-5 team since 1972 to jump from four or fewer wins one year up to 10 or more wins the next.

Colorado seeks win No. 11 on the season when the Buffs face off against No. 12/13 (CFP/AP) Oklahoma State on Dec. 29 in the Valero Alamo Bowl (7 p.m./ESPN). Only three other teams in CU history have won 11 games (1989, 1990 and 2001), with MacIntyre's squad looking to become the fourth.

Here is a listing of the awards MacIntyre has received thus far for CU's turnaround season:

2016 Walter Camp Coach of the Year – announced on Dec. 1
ESPN Home Depot Coach of the Year – announced on Dec. 7
SB Nation Coach of the Year – announced Dec. 7
CBS Sports Coach of the Year – announced Dec. 14
Associated Press Coach of the Year – announced Dec. 15
FWAA/Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year – announced Dec. 15
2016 AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year – announced on Dec. 6
Pac-12 Coach of the Year – selection by the Associated Press (announced Dec. 9) and by his fellow coaches (announced No. 29)

Other awards that MacIntyre is a finalist for:

American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year – announced on Jan. 10
2016 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year – announced on Jan. 11 during the awards banquet in Houston at the Toyota Center.
Dodd Trophy – national coach of the year presented by the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – announced week of bowl game
Maxwell Football Club 2016 George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year – announced Dec. 29.

MacIntyre A Finalist for AFCA Comeback Coach of the Year

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