KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan head coach P.J Fleck has been named to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watch List. Fleck is one of 23 head coaches around the country to be on the watch list, with the winner being announced on Jan. 11, 2017 at the awards banquet in Houston at the Toyota Center.
This season Fleck has guided Western Michigan to its first-ever top-25 ranking, as the Broncos currently sit No. 20 in both the USA Today Amway Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Poll. WMU got there by virtue of beating two Power 5 teams (Northwestern and Illinois) for the first time in program history along with winning the Battle for the Cannon against Central Michigan for the third straight season, 49-10.