Florida Gators HC Dan Mullen Named to Dodd Trophy Watch List

Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen has been named to the Bobby Dodd Trophy Award Watch List, given annually to a Division 1 head coach "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."

Congratulations to @CoachDanMullen for being named to the Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List! 👏#GatorStandard 🐊 pic.twitter.com/HFpLerliWS
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 3, 2020

Mullen is one of 13 FBS head coaches to make the list, joining North Carolina's Mack Brown, Cincinnati's Luke Fickell, Texas' Tom Herman, UCF's Josh Heupel, Notre Dame's Brian Kelly, Auburn's Gus Malzahn, Virginia's Bronco Mendenhall, LSU's Ed Orgeron, Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley, Alabama's Nick Saban, Georgia's Kirby Smart, and Clemson's Dabo Swinney.

Mullen has compiled a 21-5 record as Florida's head coach over the past two seasons, leading the Gators to a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Michigan in 2018 and a Capital One Orange Bowl win over Virginia this past December.

This year, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl committee, which selects the annual winner, have elected to only nominate coaches from programs that intend to play this fall season amid the coronavirus pandemic, along with their general rule of first-year coaches not being applicable.

The list of candidates will be cut down during the season, with the winner of the award being announced during the week of the Peach Bowl, in Atlanta.

Mullen joins seven UF players on major preseason award watch lists this year: Quarterback Kyle Trask has made five, tight end Kyle Pitts (two), linebacker Ventrell Miller (one), cornerback Kaiir Elam (one), kicker Evan McPherson (one), wide receiver Kadarius Toney (one) and defensive end Dante Lang (one).