Auburn Head Coach Gene Chizik was honored once again for leading the Tigers to the 2010 BCS National Championship, at the United States Sports Academy when he was presented Monday with the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award.
In addition to the Stagg Coaching Award, Chizik was presented with two other honors; the key to the city of Daphne and a "War Eagle" sculpture created from driftwood and brass by Fairhope artist Bruce Larsen who happens to also be an Auburn alum.
The Academy annually presents the award to a successful coach who exhibits "a high standard of propriety, imagination and innovation as a character-builder in the tradition of great teacher-coaches."
Chizik said the award, "Is a testament to a great group of people that I'm around on a daily basis. This is not about me. I receive these very humbly and very appreciative of the opportunity, but at the end of the day it's really about a whole lot of people - coaches, administrators, players. So really, I receive these on behalf of everybody else."
Many local Auburn fans came out to the event in a show of support for their coach; including 91 year old Buck Taylor who served as the editor of Auburn's student newspaper in 1942.
Coach Chizik recognized Taylor in his remarks and added, 'I'm very honored to be able to wear this medal and to be able to received this award, especially with the prestigious people that have received this award before me."
Past recipients of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award include Grambling's Eddie Robinson, Florida State's Bobby Bowden; Penn State's Joe Paterno, Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski, New England Patriot's Coach Bill Belichick, and former L A Laker's Coach Phil Jackson.
Video of award ceremony: