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A pair of SEC coaches are in the mix for the Dodd Trophy after strong seasons in 2023.
Among the finalists are Nick Saban (Alabama) and Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri). Saban was a 2014 recipient of the Dodd Trophy, while Drinkwitz is making his first appearance.
Other coaches on the list of finalists are Kalen DeBoer (Washington), Jedd Fisch (Arizona) and Mike Norvell (Florida State). The list was compiled by officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., who pick coaches based on who “embody the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, both on and off the field,” according to a release.
“This has been one of the most exhilarating years of college football in recent memory, but these five men found a way to stand out among the rest,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation.
Saban has put together an impressive 2023 season for the Crimson Tide. Initially on the outside looking in, Alabama beat former top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship game to qualify for the College Football Playoff semifinals. The No. 4 Crimson Tide (12-1) are now set to face top-ranked Michigan (13-0) in the Rose Bowl game at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
Drinkwitz, Mizzou’s head coach since 2020, has compiled his best season at the helm of the Tigers. No. 9 Missouri, currently 10-2 on the season, is scheduled to take on No. 7 Ohio State in the annual Cotton Bowl Classic at 8 p.m. Dec. 29.
