ATLANTA (Oct. 19, 2023) – The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. today released the midseason watch list for the 2023 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank. This year’s list includes 20 of the nation’s top college football coaches representing all Power Five conferences, as well as the AAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt and an independent.
Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, 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 Peach Bowl, Inc., taking into consideration each program’s graduation rate, Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, on-field success thus far for the 2023 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR).
Coaches named to this year’s midseason watch list were required to have an APR of 965 or higher. Additionally, coaches in the first year with their current teams were not included as they are ineligible to receive The Dodd Trophy until their second year with their program.
“Coaches named to The Dodd Trophy watch list have proven to hold themselves and their teams to a higher standard of excellence beyond just their success on the field, but also to their involvement in the community and their student-athletes’ achievements in the classroom,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Boddy Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “This is why we only consider coaches who have had time to establish a precedent, both on and off the field, with an APR limit and at least two years of experience with their program.”
The 2023 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank Midseason Watch List:
| Coach | School | Conference | Current AP Ranking | Current Record | APR |
| Mack Brown | North Carolina | ACC | No. 10 | 6-0 | 982 |
| Troy Calhoun | Air Force | Mountain West | No. 22 | 6-0 | 992 |
| Curt Cignetti | James Madison | Sun Belt | N/A | 6-0 | 970 |
| Ryan Day | Ohio State | Big Ten | No. 3 | 6-0 | 993 |
| Kalen DeBoer | Washington | Pac-12 | No. 5 | 6-0 | 986 |
| Eliah Drinkwitz | Mizzou | SEC | No. 20 | 6-1 | 989 |
| Mike Elko | Duke | ACC | No. 16 | 5-1 | 983 |
| Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | Big Ten | No. 24 | 6-1 | 968 |
| Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame | Independent | No. 15 | 6-2 | 989 |
| Willie Fritz | Tulane | AAC | No. 23 | 5-1 | 981 |
| Jim Harbaugh | Michigan | Big Ten | No. 2 | 7-0 | 987 |
| Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss | SEC | No. 13 | 5-1 | 995 |
| Mike Norvell | Florida State | ACC | No. 4 | 6-0 | 983 |
| Lincoln Riley | USC | Pac-12 | No. 18 | 6-1 | 972 |
| Nick Saban | Alabama | SEC | No. 11 | 6-1 | 995 |
| Steve Sarkisian | Texas | Big 12 | No. 8 | 5-1 | 974 |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | SEC | No. 1 | 7-0 | 965 |
| Jonathan Smith | Oregon State | Pac-12 | No. 12 | 6-1 | 973 |
| Brent Venables | Oklahoma | Big 12 | No. 6 | 6-0 | 967 |
| Kyle Whittingham | Utah | Pac-12 | No. 14 | 5-1 | 988 |
This collective group of coaches has won 10 National Championships, 34 FBS conference titles and secured 2,138 career wins throughout their careers.
Of the 20 coaches on the watch list, five are previous winners of The Dodd Trophy, including Mack Brown (2008), Nick Saban (2014), Kirk Ferentz (2015), Kyle Whittingham (2019) and Willie Fritz (2022).
Additionally, four of the finalists for last year’s award are represented, including Jim Harbaugh, Kirby Smart, Kyle Whittingham and the 2022 recipient of The Dodd Trophy, Willie Fritz.
The SEC and Pac-12 lead all conferences with four coaches named to the midseason watch list, followed by the ACC and Big Ten with three each. The Big 12 has two coaches on the list, while the American, Sun Belt and Mountain West conferences each have one coach represented, as well as one independent.
“PNC is proud to join the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. in recognizing this outstanding group of coaches at the midpoint of the college football season,” said Eddie Meyers, PNC regional president for Greater Georgia. “These individuals have demonstrated each week their ability to navigate the triumphs and challenges of the season, both on the field and off, with leadership and integrity. This not only aligns with coach Dodd’s values, but also PNC’s.”
“We’ve witnessed a thrilling start to the 2023 season that has already seen us add nine new coaches to the watch list since the preseason,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & president. “Both on and off the field, these coaches go above and beyond, and we’re excited to see how they continue to grow within their programs for the second half of the season and throughout their careers.”
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 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.
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 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 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 PNCBank 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.
