Muschamp Named to Dodd Preseason Watch List
July 11, 2018
University of South Carolina head football coach Will Muschamp is one of 20 coaches named to the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year preseason watch list, it was announced today by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
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.
Muschamp is 15-11 in two seasons at the helm of the Gamecocks. He took over a program that won just three games in 2015, improved that to six wins in his first season, then capped a nine-win season a year ago with a New Year’s Day Outback Bowl win over Michigan.
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.
Starting in September, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will also be presented weekly to the coach 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.
