Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. today announced that UCF head football coach Gus Malzahn has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week, presented by PNC Bank.
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
“This was a tremendous win by coach Malzahn and his football team over a surging Oklahoma State team who had just won five straight games,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “The Knights not only pulled off the upset, but did so in dominating fashion on both sides of the ball, which is something coach Dodd would have applauded.”
Malzahn led the Knights to a dominant 45-3 victory over No. 15 Oklahoma State on Saturday, securing the 100th win of his career. The 42-point win marked the largest margin of victory over a ranked opponent in program history. The Knights’ offense accumulated 592 yards, their most ever in a Big 12 conference game, while the defense allowed the fewest points in a game since a shutout victory over Florida A&M in 2019. UCF running back RJ Harvey set a career high in rushing yards with 206 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, while wide receiver Kobe Hudson recorded three receiving touchdowns. The defense forced four turnovers, led by Demari Henderson’s two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
In his third season at UCF, Malzahn has posted a 23-14 record and led the Knights to two consecutive bowl games.
“This was a marquee win for the Knights in their first year of the Big 12,” said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President, Gary Stokan. “Coach Malzahn has always excelled in teaching his student-athletes perseverance on and off the field. That, along with his commitment to academic excellence and community involvement, makes him a worthy selection for this week’s honor.”
The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank – along with the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Award – celebrates the head coach of a FBS team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
A panel consisting of all 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 2023 season. The winner of the 2023 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
TheDoddTrophy.com
@DoddTrophy
About the Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank:
The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank 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.
About PNC Bank:
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
About Peach Bowl, Inc.:
Peach Bowl, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization that operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Aflac Kickoff Game, the Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, and manages The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank national coach of the year award. It is the ninth-oldest bowl game in the country and is recognized as college football’s most charitable bowl organization, having donated $62 million to organizations in need since 2002.
Peach Bowl, Inc Events:
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is one of the New Year’s Six bowls selected to host the College Football Playoff including a CFP Semifinal every third year and top-ranked teams from around the country in the other two years of each three-year cycle. Over its 55 years, the game has drawn 3.2 million fans in attendance, a total television audience of 232 million viewers on ESPN, delivered $233.1 million in team payouts, and has created $840 million in direct economic impact for Atlanta and Georgia.
Our Aflac Kickoff Game is the nation’s longest-running kickoff game and has reshaped the opening weekend in college football. Over 20 games since 2008, the game has regularly hosted the nation’s top teams and has drawn 1.3 million fans, 100.4 million television viewers, distributed $117.7 million in team payouts and created an additional $550.8 million in economic impact.
The Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge is the nation’s premier charity golf tournament featuring top current and former college football coaches. Hosted at the beautiful Reynolds Lake Oconee resort outside Atlanta each spring, the event has generated $9.3 million for the various foundations and charities supported by its coaches.
The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank is college football’s most coveted national coaching award. Named for legendary Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd, The Dodd Trophy annually honors the FBS football coach whose program represents three pillars of success: scholarship, leadership and integrity