Gundy Makes the Mid-Season Dodd Award Watch List
ATLANTA, Ga, -- On the eve of the eve of Bedlam the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl released the midseason watch list for the 2020 Dodd Trophy and both Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy and University of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley are on it. Chalk up something else that may ride on the Bedlam game outcome on Saturday night. Neither Gundy or Riley have won the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. Gundy has won both the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award. The Dodd Award is different in that it also takes into consideration each program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), current performance during the 2020 season and each coach’s commitment to service and charity in the community.
Listed with the 19 coaches on the Dodd Watch List is their team's record, AP Poll ranking, and Academic Progress Rate. Gundy and Oklahoma State are 5-1 with a No. 14 ranking in the AP Poll. The Cowboys APR is 979 tied for eighth best along with fellow Big 12 head coach Matt Campbell at Iowa State. Campbell and Texas head coach Tom Herman join Gundy and Riley as the only Big 12 coaches on the list.
As expected the top programs including Nick Saban at Alabama, Dabo Swinney at Clemson, and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly are on the list. Those three are the only former Bobby Dodd winners on mid-season watch list. Interestingly, Swinney and Clemson have the second highest APR score of 993 with head coach Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern at 995. Saban and Alabama have a 990 APR. Notre Dame and Kelly 970.
Luke Fickell of Cincinnati was the only Group of Five head coach on the list and his team is 7-0 and has a 990 APR.
“It’s been an unprecedented season so far this year and we had to consider a variety of factors when compiling this list,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “At the end of the day, we selected the coaches who we felt truly embody Bobby Dodd’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, both on and off the football field.”
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 2020 season. The winner of the 2020 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
