Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz is getting some recognition ahead of the season.
Ferentz was one of 20 coaches listed on the Dodd Trophy watch list. The Dodd Trophy is the premier award for coaching, awarded to the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership, and integrity.
Those are the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy. The selection process considers team success, each program’s graduation rate, commitment to service and charity in the community, projected success for the 2022 season, and Academic Progress Rate (APR). The recipient of the award is named during halftime of the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl.
Entering his 24th year, the longest tenure of any college football coach, Ferentz has won the award once in 2015. Last year’s winner was Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell. Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald also won the award the year prior.
Only two coaches have ever won the award twice, Bill Snyder of Kansas State (1998 and 2002) and Penn State‘s Joe Paterno (1981 and 2005). Ferentz is looking to become the third.
Head Coach Kirk Ferentz is 1⃣ of 2⃣0⃣ coaches on @thedoddtrophy preseason watch list.#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/W4K3IOIcVp
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) July 12, 2022
The 19 coaches joining Ferentz on the preseason list is a real who’s who of college football’s elite. Fellow Big Ten coaches Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), Ryan Day (Ohio State), Jim Harbaugh (Michigan), and Mel Tucker (Michigan State) join Ferentz on the list.
Alabama‘s Nick Saban, Georgia‘s Kirby Smart, and Baylor’s Dave Aranda also appear on the list. Don’t forget about last year’s winner Luke Fickell of Cincinnati who makes an appearance on the preseason watch list as well.
While one of the winningest coaches in Big Ten history, Ferentz doesn’t always get the recognition he deserves by the media. Ferentz is consistently ranked below fellow Big Ten coaches and even cross-town rivals.
He doesn’t always get the credit he deserves for how consistent Iowa football is both on and off the field. It is great to see Ferentz placed on the watchlist for such a prestigious award as a symbol of recognition not just of him but of Iowa football in general.
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