Michigan football head coach, Jim Harbaugh, the reigning 2021 Associated Press Coach of the Year, made the preseason watch list for the Dodd Trophy.
The watch list includes 20 different coaches from the Power Five conferences, as well as the AAC, and an independent.
Harbaugh is entering his eighth season as the Michigan football head coach. He led Michigan to a Big Ten title in 2021, which was the program’s first since 2004, and to the College Football Playoff. Harbaugh has compiled an impressive 61-24 record while coaching the Wolverines, and he is 43-17 during Big Ten conference games.
Coach Harbaugh has had 15 players earn All-American honors during his seven complete seasons at Michigan. He has had 284 players earn academic All-Big Ten honors as well.
Last season, Harbaugh was a finalist for the Dodd Trophy, but Luke Fickel from Cincinnati ultimately took home the honors.
The Dodd Trophy is a coveted Coach of the Year trophy which not only takes account of team success, but also stresses the importance of scholarship, leadership, and integrity.
The Dodd Trophy was first established in 1976 to honor the head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award is named after coach Bobby Dodd who coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for 22 years. Coach Dodd embodied not only a great football program, but he believed in the importance of having a strong academic football team, along with having excellent character.
The following 20 coaches made the preseason watch list:
| Coach | School | Conference |
| Dave Aranda | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Paul Chryst | Wisconsin | Big Ten |
| Dave Clawson | Wake Forest | ACC |
| Ryan Day | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Dave Doeren | NC State | ACC |
| Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | Big Ten |
| Luke Fickell | Cincinnati | AAC |
| Jimbo Fisher | Texas A&M | SEC |
| Mike Gundy | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| Jim Harbaugh | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss | SEC |
| Pat Narduzzi | Pitt | ACC |
| Sam Pittman | Arkansas | SEC |
| Nick Saban | Alabama | SEC |
| Kalani Sitake | BYU | Independent |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | SEC |
| Mark Stoops | Kentucky | SEC |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson | ACC |
| Mel Tucker | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Kyle Whittingham | Utah | Pac-12 |
“College football has seen many changes in recent years, but all of these coaches have held true to our award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “What separates The Dodd Trophy and truly makes it the most coveted coach of the year award, is our commitment to recognizing all that these coaches do, not only on the football field, but in the classroom and throughout their communities as well. This is why we require coaches to have at least two years of experience leading their current programs, so that they have had time to establish a precedent, both on and off the field.”
To see more about the Dodd Trophy you can visit: www.TheDoddTrophy.com
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