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Gators coach Dan Mullen has gained quite a bit of national prominence after just two seasons in Gainesville, and that is starting to show on national coaching award watch lists.
The Bobby Dodd Trophy is given annually to the nation’s top coach, and Mullen was one of 13 coaches nominated for this year’s preseason watch list. Last year’s winner was Utah’s Kyle Wittingham.
He’s joined on the list by fellow SEC coaches Ed Orgeron of LSU, Nick Saban of Alabama, Kirby Smart of Georgia and Guz Malzahn of Auburn. With five coaches represented, the SEC leads all conferences on the Dodd watch list.
The award is limited to coaches whose teams will be competing this fall, so only the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and AAC are represented. However, nine other coaches from the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Mountain West, all of which have canceled their fall seasons, met the criteria for the Dodd Trophy watch list and were recognized accordingly.
The watch list will be narrowed midway through the season to semifinalists and later to finalists after the conclusion of the regular season. The winner will be announced in Atlanta the week of the Peach Bowl.
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