The Quarterbacking Children’s Health Foundation will recognize late coaches Bobby Bowden and Frank Beamer as the 2024 Nick Saban Legacy Award recipients in a presentation Feb. 19.
The presentation will be at 6 p.m. at Red Mountain Theatre, with a pre-game reception at 4:30 p.m. at The Fennec. Guests of honor are Nick and Terry Saban, and this year’s presentation co-hosts are Lauren Sisler and Rick Neuheisel.
“Through our interest and support of football, our club has generated nearly $40 million that we have been able to fund our children’s medical charities,” Robbie Robertson, Quarterbacking Children’s Health Foundation trustee and chairman of the Nick Saban Legacy Award Committee, said in a release about the event.
The national award was created in 2022 to recognize the lifetime achievement of a college coach and his contributions to the game of football.
Bowden has been hailed as one of the greatest coaches in college football. He led Florida State University to two national titles and 12 ACC championships, and he finished every season from 1987 to 2000 with at least 10 wins, the release stated.
Bowden, a Birmingham native, was inducted into the American College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and retired in 2008 with an overall record of 377-129-4. He was known for developing personal relationships with players and coaches.
“There’s probably not many in this profession that I have more respect for than coach Bowden – not only as a coach and what he accomplished on the field, but the kind of person he was, the kind of character he had and the class he exemplified as a college football coach,” Saban said following Bowden’s passing.
Beamer was the winningest coach in Virginia Tech history. His 280 career victories rank him sixth in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision history and are the 13th most by a college football coach in any NCAA division.
Beamer led Virginia Tech to their first national title game appearance as part of his 23 consecutive bowl berths during his time with the Hokies.
Beamer began his 35-year head coaching career at Murray State, where he coached from 1981-86, and he ranks fourth in school history in wins after leading the Racers to a 42-23-2 record in six seasons. In 1986, he guided the team to a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title and a trip to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs.
The foundation is the charitable arm of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club and provides funds to fulfill medical needs and support for Alabama children and young adults.
This year’s award event will be produced and aired by WBRC FOX 6. The sponsors are Alabama Power, Medical Properties Trust, Stivers Ford Birmingham and Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club.
For more information and to buy tickets to the presentation, visit www.mmqbc.org/nsla
