Nick Saban named AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year on Tuesday

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama Crimson Tide put in another two hours of work on Tuesday, practicing in full pads at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields on a cool afternoon in Tuscaloosa.
Today’s session was the fifth of seven bowl practices in Tuscaloosa before the holiday break and 12 practices overall prior to the College Football Playoff Semifinal against No. 4 Oklahoma in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The top-ranked Crimson Tide will face off with Sooners on Saturday, Dec. 29 with the game airing live on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call the semifinal matchup from the booth, while Maria Taylor and Laura Rutledge will work each team’s sideline.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban was named one of five regional coaches of the year by the American Football Coaches Association on Tuesday. Saban was voted the AFCA FBS Region 2 winner by his fellow coaches in the region, which encompasses the Southeastern and the Sun Belt conferences. The AFCA will announce its national coach of the year on Jan. 8.
Also on Tuesday, Alabama assistant coach Michael Locksley was named the FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year. The honor is the second for Locksley this month. He was named the winner of the Broyles Award on Dec. 4.