The Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award is handed out each January in Houston at a banquet that is hosted by the American Heart Association. It is presented alongside the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

This year, the lifetime achievement award will be presented to former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, as announced by the Hokies on Thursday.

Beamer entered the National Football Hall of Fame in 2018 in his first year of eligibility, and he’ll now add this prestigious award to his collection.

“I am honored and humbled to receive the Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award,” Beamer said in a press release. “I’d like to thank all the fine young men who I had an opportunity to coach, as well as their parents who entrusted their sons to me. Without our coaches and support staff, we could not have built the program and enjoyed the success we did. A big thank you to them and their families for their commitment and loyalty.”

Beamer went 280-143-4 over his coaching career at Murray State and Virginia Tech. He went 238-121-2 while leading the Hokies before retiring after the 2015 season.

Virginia Tech won seven conference titles under Beamer — three in the Big East and four in the ACC.

“I also owe a debt of gratitude to our fabulous fans, administrators and alumni at Virginia Tech who allowed me to enjoy a 29-year coaching run at my alma mater,” Beamer said in a press release. “Finally, and most importantly, I am especially grateful for my wife, Cheryl, and our family. I will share this award with everyone who made it possible and look forward to attending the ceremony.”

The ceremony will be held on Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.

The Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award has been awarded every year since its inception in 2000.