Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin named to Preseason Watch List for 2022 Dodd Trophy

ATLANTA – (Release) The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. today released the preseason watch list for the 2022 Dodd Trophy presented by PNC. This year’s list includes 20 of the nation’s top college football coaches representing all Power Five conferences, as well as the AAC and an independent.

Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc., 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, commitment to service and charity in the community, projected success for the 2022 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR). Coaches in the first year with their current team are ineligible to receive The Dodd Trophy.

“College football has seen many changes in recent years, but all of these coaches have held true to our award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “What separates The Dodd Trophy and truly makes it the most coveted coach of the year award, is our commitment to recognizing all that these coaches do, not only on the football field, but in the classroom and throughout their communities as well. This is why we require coaches to have at least two years of experience leading their current programs, so that they have had time to establish a precedent, both on and off the field.”

The 2022 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List presented by PNC:

“Never has strong leadership been more imperative than it is now in our sport,” said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & President Gary Stokan. “Each of these coaches have continued to find success and navigate an ever-evolving college football landscape to lead their student athletes to new heights both on the football field and in the classroom.”

This collective group of coaches has won 12 National Championships, 39 FBS conference titles and secured 1,882 career wins throughout their careers.

Of the 20 coaches on the watch list, five are previous winners of The Dodd Trophy, including Dabo Swinney (2011), Nick Saban (2014), Kirk Ferentz (2015), Kyle Whittingham (2019) and Luke Fickell (2021).

Additionally, all five finalists for last year’s award are represented, including Dave Aranda, Dave Clawson, Jim Harbaugh, Pat Narduzzi and the 2021 recipient of The Dodd Trophy Luke Fickell.

The SEC leads all conferences with six coaches making the list, followed closely by the Big Ten with five representatives and the ACC with four.

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 2022 season. The winner of the 2022 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Starting in September, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will also honor coaches on a weekly basis 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.

Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.