Dec. 9, 2008

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has been named as one of 10 finalists for the 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. The 2008 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year, Whittingham has led Utah to a 12-0 record and berth in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Finalists were determined by a combination of fan votes and an objective scoring model endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame. Fans can continue to vote for Whittingham at www.CoachoftheYear.com through Dec. 22. Fan votes account for 20 percent of each coach's final score while the College Football Hall of Famers and national college football media account for 55 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

The winner will be recognized in the permanent College Football Hall of Fame display in South Bend, Ind., and will receive $50,000 from Liberty Mutual to support his favorite civic and charitable activities, along with a $20,000 scholarship donation for his school's alumni association.

The 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners will be announced on ESPN during halftime of the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31.

Joining Whittingham are, in alphabetical order: Mack Brown, University of Texas; Brady Hoke, Ball State University; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern University; Urban Meyer, University of Florida; Joe Paterno, Pennsylvania State University; Chris Petersen, Boise State University; Nick Saban, University of Alabama; Bob Stoops, University of Oklahoma; and Jim Tressel, Ohio State University.