Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was named to the 2021 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list, considered the most coveted national coaching award there is.
The Dodd Trophy stresses the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.
The coaches joining Smart on the preseason watch list are as follows:
- Tom Allen, Indiana
- Mack Brown, North Carolina
- Matt Campbell, Iowa State
- Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina
- Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
- Ryan Day, Ohio State
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
- Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
- James Franklin, Penn State
- Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
- Jimmy Lake, Washington
- Dan Mullen, Florida
- Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
- Nick Saban, Alabama
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Peach Bowl, Inc, which manages the trophy, released a statement on Tuesday:
“The Dodd Trophy is the most coveted coach of the year award because it looks beyond just the results on the field and measures the overall impact these coaches have had on their players, universities and communities.