David Braun was announced as the undisputed B1G Coach of the Year by the coaches and media on Tuesday.

David Braun had the odds stacked against him after taking charge of a Northwestern program as interim head coach in the midst of a hazing scandal. Fast forward to a few months later and Braun is the full-time head coach, and the Wildcats are bowl-eligible.

The job that Braun did in Evanston was astounding. Northwestern went from a 1-win team last season to a 7-5 regular season finish this year as the team won its last 3 games. What a difference a year makes for the Wildcats.

Braun also snapped a 2-game losing streak to Illinois to bring the Land of Lincoln Trophy back to Evanston in his first year. Even more remarkable, Braun produced those kinds of results after a quick rise to the top of the program.

Coming out of 2022, he was tabbed as the defensive coordinator under Pat Fitzgerald as the first Power 5 job for Braun. He was eventually tabbed as the interim head coach after Fitzgerald’s firing and thrived in his first year leading a major college football program.

It’s hard to think of anyone in the B1G who deserved the award more than Braun did this season. Now the award is official.