Paul "Bear" Bryant
Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame
Alabama & Kentucky
Sugar Bowls: Nine
Inducted: 2017 (Inaugural Class)
Paul “Bear” Bryant directed nine different teams to the Sugar Bowl. His first appearance was in the 1951 game when his heavy underdog Kentucky Wildcats shocked top-ranked Oklahoma. After taking over at Alabama, he led the Crimson Tide to eight Sugar Bowl appearances. His 1962 team capped a national championship season in the Sugar Bowl and his string of Sugar Bowl games ended with three straight appearances in 1978, 1979 and 1980. All three of those games resulted in wins over fellow College Football Hall of Fame coaches – Woody Hayes (Ohio State) in 1978, Joe Paterno (Penn State) in 1979 and Lou Holtz (Notre Dame) in 1980. His last two appearances (1979, 1980) were both national championships for the Crimson Tide.
