ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com)– UCF head football coach Josh Heupel is one of 23 coaches on the preseason watch list for the 2019 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Trophy.
The Bobby Dodd Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today released that list of 23 of the nation’s top college football coaches.
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 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 2019 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR). Coaches in the first year with their current team are ineligible to receive the Dodd Trophy.
Heupel in his first year at UCF in 2018 led the Knights to a 12-1 record, extending the program’s win streak to 25 straight games, winning a second consecutive American Athletic Conference title and qualifying for a second straight New Year’s Six bowl appearance.
The 2019 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List:
Coach | School | Conference |
Dino Babers | Syracuse | ACC |
Matt Campbell | Iowa State | Big 12 |
Paul Chryst | Wisconsin | Big Ten |
Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | Big Ten |
Jimbo Fisher | Texas A&M | SEC |
Pat Fitzgerald | Northwestern | Big Ten |
James Franklin | Penn State | Big Ten |
Scott Frost | Nebraska | Big Ten |
Jim Harbaugh | Michigan | Big Ten |
Bryan Harsin | Boise State | Mountain West |
Tom Herman | Texas | Big 12 |
Josh Heupel | UCF | AAC |
Brian Kelly | Notre Dame | Independent |
Auburn | SEC | |
Jeff Monken | Army | Independent |
Dan Mullen | Florida | SEC |
Chris Petersen | Washington | Pac-12 |
Lincoln Riley | Oklahoma | Big 12 |
Nick Saban | Alabama | SEC |
David Shaw | Stanford | Pac-12 |
Kirby Smart | Georgia | SEC |
Dabo Swinney | Clemson | ACC |
Kyle Whittingham | Utah | Pac-12 |
Of the 23 coaches on the watch list, six are previous winners of the Dodd Trophy, including Brian Kelly (2018), David Shaw (2017), Kirk Ferentz (2015), Nick Saban (2014), Dabo Swinney (2011) and Chris Petersen (2010). Additionally, all seven of the finalists for last year’s award are represented, including Pat Fitzgerald, Dabo Swinney, Dino Babers, Brian Kelly, Lincoln Riley, Nick Saban and Kirby Smart.
The Big Ten leads all conferences with six coaches making the list, followed closely by the SEC with five representatives. Last year’s winner Brian Kelly is joined by Jeff Monken as the two coaches on the list who represent independent institutions.
A midseason watch list – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released in the fall. A panel consisting of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2019 season. The winner of the 2019 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Starting in September, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will also be presented weekly to the coach whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, while also having success on the playing field during the previous week.
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About the Dodd Trophy
The Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd’s teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football’s legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Virginia, and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the National College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player. Additional information about the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation can be found at www.TheDoddTrophy.com. For news, updates and insider information, follow us on Twitter at @DoddTrophy or find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DoddTrophy.