University of Miami head football coach Mark Richt was among the 20 coaches selected to the preseason watch list for the 2018 Dodd Trophy, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl announced Wednesday.
The Dodd Trophy 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.
Richt, a finalist for the 2017 Dodd Trophy, has posted a 19-7 record over his first two seasons as Miami's head coach, the third-best start in program history. The Hurricanes won 10 games in 2017, climbing as high as second in the College Football Playoff rankings. Miami captured the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division for the first time in its history and earned an invitation to the Capital One Orange Bowl for the first time in 13 years. Richt won 2017 ACC Coach of the Year honors and was also named the 2017 Walter Camp Coach of the Year.
Off the field, Richt has energized the program, from supporting the fundraising efforts for the Carol Soffer Football Indoor Practice Facility to launching The U Network, which assists former Hurricanes in networking and career placement after their playing careers have concluded. Miami was one of three schools, along with Stanford and Northwestern, to earn the 2016 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Academic Achievement Award. In addition, the Hurricanes ranked first among all FBS programs in 2016 in the NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Community Service Competition, helping Miami finish first among Division I schools overall in 2018.
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 2018 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR). Coaches in the first year with their current team are ineligible to receive The Dodd Trophy.
"The Dodd Trophy distinguishes itself from other coaching awards due to the high standards used to determine potential candidates," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "This is the most-coveted coaching award because it looks beyond rankings, wins or losses, and measures the overall impact these coaches have on their players, universities and communities."
"This list includes a renowned group of individuals who truly embody the principles Bobby Dodd adhered to, such as scholarship, leadership and integrity," said Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CEO & President Gary Stokan. "We look forward to seeing which of these coaches set themselves apart from the rest of the pack as the 2018 season unfolds."
Additional watch lists – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released throughout 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 2018 season. The winner of the 2018 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Week.
The coaches on The 2018 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List include:
Coach
School
Conference
Paul Chryst
Wisconsin
Big Ten
James Franklin
Penn State
Big Ten
Justin Fuente
Virginia Tech
ACC
Mike Gundy
Oklahoma State
Big 12
Jim Harbaugh
Michigan
Big Ten
Bryan Harsin
Boise State
Mountain West
Clay Helton
USC
Pac-12
Tom Herman
Texas
Big 12
Brian Kelly
Notre Dame
Independent
Gus Malzahn
Auburn
SEC
Urban Meyer
Ohio State
Big Ten
Will Muschamp
South Carolina
SEC
Gary Patterson
TCU
Big 12
Chris Petersen
Washington
Pac-12
Mark Richt
Miami
ACC
Lincoln Riley
Oklahoma
Big 12
Nick Saban
Alabama
SEC
David Shaw
Stanford
Pac-12
Kirby Smart
Georgia
SEC
Dabo Swinney
Clemson
ACC
Of the 20 coaches on the watch list, five are previous winners of the Dodd Trophy, including David Shaw (2017), Nick Saban (2014), Dabo Swinney (2011), Chris Petersen (2010) and Gary Patterson (2009). Additionally, four of the coaches were finalists for last year’s award, including Swinney, Paul Chryst, Mark Richt and Kirby Smart. The SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 all tied for the highest number of representatives on this year’s watch list with four coaches from each respective conference.
Additional watch lists – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released throughout 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 2018 season. The winner of the 2018 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Week.
The Dodd Trophy 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.
Richt, a finalist for the 2017 Dodd Trophy, has posted a 19-7 record over his first two seasons as Miami's head coach, the third-best start in program history. The Hurricanes won 10 games in 2017, climbing as high as second in the College Football Playoff rankings. Miami captured the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division for the first time in its history and earned an invitation to the Capital One Orange Bowl for the first time in 13 years. Richt won 2017 ACC Coach of the Year honors and was also named the 2017 Walter Camp Coach of the Year.
Off the field, Richt has energized the program, from supporting the fundraising efforts for the Carol Soffer Football Indoor Practice Facility to launching The U Network, which assists former Hurricanes in networking and career placement after their playing careers have concluded. Miami was one of three schools, along with Stanford and Northwestern, to earn the 2016 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Academic Achievement Award. In addition, the Hurricanes ranked first among all FBS programs in 2016 in the NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Community Service Competition, helping Miami finish first among Division I schools overall in 2018.
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 2018 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR). Coaches in the first year with their current team are ineligible to receive The Dodd Trophy.
"The Dodd Trophy distinguishes itself from other coaching awards due to the high standards used to determine potential candidates," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "This is the most-coveted coaching award because it looks beyond rankings, wins or losses, and measures the overall impact these coaches have on their players, universities and communities."
"This list includes a renowned group of individuals who truly embody the principles Bobby Dodd adhered to, such as scholarship, leadership and integrity," said Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CEO & President Gary Stokan. "We look forward to seeing which of these coaches set themselves apart from the rest of the pack as the 2018 season unfolds."
Additional watch lists – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released throughout 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 2018 season. The winner of the 2018 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Week.
The coaches on The 2018 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List include:
Coach
School
Conference
Paul Chryst
Wisconsin
Big Ten
James Franklin
Penn State
Big Ten
Justin Fuente
Virginia Tech
ACC
Mike Gundy
Oklahoma State
Big 12
Jim Harbaugh
Michigan
Big Ten
Bryan Harsin
Boise State
Mountain West
Clay Helton
USC
Pac-12
Tom Herman
Texas
Big 12
Brian Kelly
Notre Dame
Independent
Gus Malzahn
Auburn
SEC
Urban Meyer
Ohio State
Big Ten
Will Muschamp
South Carolina
SEC
Gary Patterson
TCU
Big 12
Chris Petersen
Washington
Pac-12
Mark Richt
Miami
ACC
Lincoln Riley
Oklahoma
Big 12
Nick Saban
Alabama
SEC
David Shaw
Stanford
Pac-12
Kirby Smart
Georgia
SEC
Dabo Swinney
Clemson
ACC
Of the 20 coaches on the watch list, five are previous winners of the Dodd Trophy, including David Shaw (2017), Nick Saban (2014), Dabo Swinney (2011), Chris Petersen (2010) and Gary Patterson (2009). Additionally, four of the coaches were finalists for last year’s award, including Swinney, Paul Chryst, Mark Richt and Kirby Smart. The SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 all tied for the highest number of representatives on this year’s watch list with four coaches from each respective conference.
Additional watch lists – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released throughout 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 2018 season. The winner of the 2018 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Week.
