American Athletic Conference football individual awards

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.

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
QBQuarterback RBRunning back TETight end WRWide receiver
Class key
FrFreshman SoSophomore JrJunior SrSenior
Season Player School Position Class
2013Blake BortlesUCFQBJr
2014Shane Carden[2]East CarolinaQBSr
2015Keenan Reynolds[3]NavyQBSr
2016Quinton Flowers[4]USFQBJr
2017McKenzie Milton[5]UCFQBSo
2018McKenzie Milton (2)[6]UCFQBJr
2019Malcolm Perry [7]NavyQBSr
2020Desmond Ridder [8]CincinnatiQBJr

Winners by school
School (First season)WinnersYears
UCF (2013)32013, 2017, 2018
Navy (2015)22015, 2019
Cincinnati (2013)12020
USF (2013)12016
East Carolina (2014)12014

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
DEDefensive end DTDefensive tackle LBLinebacker SSafety
Class key
FrFreshman SoSophomore JrJunior SrSenior
Season Player School Position Class
2013Marcus SmithLouisvilleDESr
2014†Jacoby Glenn[2]UCFCBSo
2014†Tank Jakes[2]MemphisLBSr
2015Tyler Matakevich[3]TempleLBSr
2016Shaquem Griffin[4]UCFLBJr
2017Ed Oliver[5]HoustonDTSo
2018Nate Harvey[6]East CarolinaDESr
2019Quincy Roche[7]TempleDEJr
2020*Zaven Collins[8]TulsaLBJr

Winners by school
School (First season)WinnersYears
Temple (2013)22015, 2019
UCF (2013)22014, 2016
Tulsa (2014)12020
East Carolina (2014)12018
Houston (2013)12017
Memphis (2013)12014
Louisville (2013)12013

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
KPlacekicker KRKick returner PPunter PRPunt returner RSReturn specialist
Class key
FrFreshman SoSophomore JrJunior SrSenior
Season Player School Position Class
2013†Demarcus AyersHoustonRSFr
2013†Tom HornseyMemphisPSr
2014Jake Elliott[2]MemphisKSo
2015Jake Elliott (2)[3]MemphisKJr
2016Tony Pollard[4]MemphisKRFr
2017Tony Pollard (2)[5]MemphisKRSo
2018Isaiah Wright[6]TempleRSJr
2019†Dane Roy[7]HoustonPSr
2019†Antonio Gibson[7]MemphisRSSr
2020Chris Naggar[8]SMUKSr

Winners by school
School (First season)WinnersYears
Memphis (2013)62013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
Houston (2013)22013, 2019
SMU (2013)12020
Temple (2013)12018

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
DEDefensive end LBLinebacker OTOffensive tackle QBQuarterback
SSafety RBRunning back WRWide receiver TETight end
Season Player School Position
2013John O'KornHoustonQB
2014Marlon Mack[2]South FloridaRB
2015Tre'Quan Smith[3]UCFWR
2016Ed Oliver[4]HoustonDT
2017T.J. Carter[5]MemphisCB
2018Desmond Ridder[6]CincinnatiQB
2019Kenneth Gainwell[7]MemphisRB
2020†Rahjai Harris [8]East CarolinaRB
2020†Ulysses Bentley IV[8]SMURB

Winners by school
School (First season)WinnersYears
Houston (2013)22013, 2016
Memphis (2013)22017, 2019
East Carolina (2014)12020
SMU (2013)12020
Cincinnati (2013)12018
USF (2013)12014
UCF (2013)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
* Unanimous selection
† Assistant Coach of the Year
Coach (X) Denotes the number of times the coach has been selected
Season Coach School Year with school Record
2013George O'LearyUCF10th11–1
2014Justin Fuente[2]Memphis3rd9–3
2015†Tom Herman[3]Houston1st11–1
2015†Ken Niumatalolo[3]Navy8th9–2
2016Ken Niumatalolo (2)[4]Navy9th9–2
2017Scott Frost[5]UCF2nd12–0
2018Luke Fickell[6]Cincinnati2nd11–2
2019Ken Niumatalolo (3)[7]Navy12th11–2
2020Luke Fickell (2)[8]Cincinnati4th8–0

Winners by school
School (First season)WinnersYears
Navy (2015)32015, 2016, 2019
Cincinnati (2013)22018, 2020
UCF (2013)22013, 2017
Houston (2013)12015
Memphis (2013)12014

Footnotes

References
  1. American Athletic Conference (December 11, 2013). "American Athletic Conference Announces 2013 Postseason Football Honors". Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  2. "American Athletic Conference Announces 2014 Postseason Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  3. "2015 Postseason Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  4. "American Athletic Conference Announces 2016 Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  5. "2017 American Athletic Conference Football Postseason Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. November 29, 2017.
  6. "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. "American Announces 2019 Postseason Football Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 4, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  8. "American Announces 2020 Football Postseason Honors" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  9. "ACC votes to add Louisville". Sports Illustrated. November 28, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
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