Arkansas coach Sam Pittman was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 2 Coach of the Year, the university announced Monday.

This award for Pittman makes him a finalist for the National Coach of the Year award.

In his second year as head coach, Pittman led the razorbacks to win eight games, the university said. That is the most regular-season wins for the program since 2011.

For the first time in program history, the Razorbacks won all three of the trophy games, beating No. 7 Texas A&M in the Southwest Classic, winning at LSU in the Battle for the Golden Boot, and topping Missouri in the Battle Line Rivalry.

The season will now culminate with a New Year's Day bowl game when Arkansas faces Penn State in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. This will be the team's first bowl game since 2016.