ATLANTA — The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. released the preseason watch list for the 2023 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is one of 21 of the nation's top college football coaches representing all Power Five conferences, as well as the AAC, Mountain West and an independent.
Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, 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.
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, projected success for the 2023 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR).
Coaches named to this year's preseason watch list were required to have an APR higher than 980. 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.
This collective group of coaches has won 10 National Championships, 41 FBS conference titles and secured 2,070 career wins throughout their careers.
Of the 21 coaches on the watch list, six are previous winners of The Dodd Trophy, including Mack Brown (2008), Dabo Swinney (2011), Nick Saban (2014), Kirk Ferentz (2015), Kyle Whittingham (2019) and Willie Fritz (2022).
Additionally, three of the finalists for last year's award are represented, including Jim Harbaugh, Kyle Whittingham and the 2022 recipient of The Dodd Trophy Willie Fritz.
The ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten lead all conferences with five coaches named to the preseason watch list, followed by the SEC with two. The Pac-12, AAC and Mountain West each have one coach represented.