Tag: Bobby Dodd Trophy

Finalists named for Bobby Dodd coach of the year award

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is one of five finalists to win the Bobby Dodd Trophy.

The Bobby Dodd Trophy committee has named the five finalists for the coach of the year award. The Dodd Trophy does not allow first-year coaches to win the award, so TCU’s Sonny Dykes is not in the running for the award despite taking the Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoffs.

Michigan‘s Jim Harbaugh, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, Tulane’s Will Fritz, Kansas State’s Chris Klieman, and Georgia’s Kirby Smart are the five finalists for the award.

Jim Harbaugh helped Michigan make the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Kyle Whittingham and Utah won the Pac-12. Tulane won the American Athletic Conference and is 12-1 under Will Fritz. Kansas State and Chris Klieman won the Big 12. Lastly, Georgia’s Kirby Smart is 13-0 and won an SEC championship.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh won the Big Ten championship again. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodd Trophy winner will be announced at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia. The award factors in community service and academics as well as on-field performance.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has already been named as the SEC’s coach of the year.

Why does Smart have a chance to win the Dodd coach of the year award after winning a national championship? Because Georgia lost 15 players to the 2022 NFL draft and numerous other players to the transfer portal.

Despite the roster turnover, the standard remained the same for the Bulldogs. Georgia finished a second consecutive regular season undefeated and won the SEC championship against LSU. These accomplishments are why Smart is in the running to win the Dodd Trophy despite having a stacked roster.

Georgia earned the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and will look to repeat as national champions.

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Texas head coach Tom Herman named to midseason Dodd Trophy watch list

After recently being named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant coach of the year award, Texas’ Tom Herman finds himself another watch list.

The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl has released their midseason watch list for the top head coaches in college football. Before the season the Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman was among the coaches listed on the initial preseason list. He was also present on the midseason watch list.

The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity– the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.

Herman was one of 19 coaches to make the midseason list. The Longhorns have at least three games left this year and it could be as many as five. That would include their bowl game and a potential Big 12 Championship.

Big 12 Coaches listed

Coach School Record AP Ranking
Tom Herman Texas 5-2 22
Matt Campbell Iowa State 5-2 17
Mike Gundy Oklahoma State 5-1 14
Lincoln Riley Oklahoma 5-2 18

It should come as no surprise to see the four coaches vying for a shot at the Big 12 Championship all be on the list.

“The Dodd Trophy is unique from other coach of the year awards considering it looks beyond just wins and losses on the football field,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & president. “Each of these coaches have had successful seasons to date, but what sets them apart is how they’ve empowered their players in the classroom and impacted their communities in a positive way. All of these coaches on the watch list are strong contenders for this year’s Dodd Trophy and we look forward to seeing who emerges as finalists this last month of the season.”

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Brian Kelly Makes Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List

Brian Kelly is on a mission to prove that the 2020 iteration of Notre Dame football is the best under his watch.

Brian Kelly is on a mission to prove that the 2020 iteration of Notre Dame football is the best under his watch. Those on the outside looking in can see that, and the results have made Kelly one of 19 coaches to make this year’s Bobby Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List. There is no higher honor for a college football coach. With an 8-0 record, No. 2 ranking and Academic Progress Rating of 970, the Irish have made Kelly worthy of this list.

Some of college football’s most prominent coaches join Kelly on this year’s list. They include Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, Jimbo Fisher, Paul Chryst, Gus Malzahn, Lincoln Riley, Mike Gundy and Pat Fitzgerald. With that type of company, there’s still a long way to go before Kelly can prove he’s the one who should take this year’s award. This would be the second time in three years he’s won it, and he would join Joe Paterno and Bill Snyder as the only two-time winners of the trophy since it first was awarded in 1976.

Notre Dame’s Kelly gets national recognition for defeating Clemson

Brian Kelly, Notre Dame’s head coach, is named the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Week after upsetting No. 1 Clemson.

After ending Clemson’s “rule” over the ACC, plenty of Notre Dame players got recognition. Actually, three of the did which you can see here, but it was Brian Kelly’s turn to reap the benefits of defeating the former No. 1 team in the nation.

A perfect 7-0 start the the season, the longest winning streak in college football, it’s fitting that Kelly is finally getting some people to turn their heads. The Bobby Dodd Trophy is well aware of the Irish’s leader’s excellence, as Kelly won the award in 2018.

If the Irish continue their solid play for the rest of the regular season, Kelly should be in line for plenty of year-end national awards as well.

Brian Kelly Named to 2020 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List

Brian Kelly was named to the Bobby Dodd Trophy preseason watch-list on Thursday. See who else joins him on there.

ATLANTA (Sept. 3, 2020) – The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today released the preseason watch list for the 2020 Dodd Trophy. This year’s list includes 13 of the nation’s top college football coaches representing teams who are scheduled to play during the fall season.

The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.

The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, taking into consideration each program’s graduation rate, commitment to service and charity in the community, projected success for the 2020 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR). Coaches in the first year with their current team are ineligible to receive The Dodd Trophy and only those coaches who have played during the fall season will be eligible for this year’s award.

“An unprecedented season calls for an unprecedented preseason watch list,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “When considering candidates for this year’s Dodd Trophy, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation made the decision to align with the College Football Playoff’s timeline and only consider coaches who will play during the fall season. That said, we still would like to recognize coaches from other conferences who met all of the criteria and under normal circumstances would be included on our list.”

The 2020 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List:

Coach School Conference
Mack Brown North Carolina ACC
Luke Fickell Cincinnati AAC
Tom Herman Texas Big 12
Josh Heupel UCF AAC
Brian Kelly Notre Dame ACC*
Gus Malzahn Auburn SEC
Bronco Mendenhall Virginia ACC
Dan Mullen Florida SEC
Ed Orgeron LSU SEC
Lincoln Riley Oklahoma Big 12
Nick Saban Alabama SEC
Kirby Smart Georgia SEC
Dabo Swinney Clemson ACC

The Dodd Trophy would also like to recognize the following coaches from conferences scheduled to play in the spring. These nine coaches all met the same criteria as the 13 coaches named to the preseason watch list, but are not eligible to win the award this season considering The Dodd Trophy will be awarded in December before their seasons are completed.

Coach School Conference
Paul Chryst Wisconsin Big Ten
Mario Cristobal Oregon Pac-12
Ryan Day Ohio State Big Ten
Herm Edwards Arizona State Pac-12
P.J. Fleck Minnesota Big Ten
James Franklin Penn State Big Ten
Jim Harbaugh Michigan Big Ten
Bryan Harsin Boise State Mountain West
Kyle Whittingham Utah Pac-12

 

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