Although most of the college football awards have already been handed out, University of Alabama coach Nick Saban was one of 12 finalists named for the Dodd Trophy for Coach of the Year.
Four other coaches from the Southeastern Conference made the list: Hugh Freeze of Ole Miss, Dan Mullen of Mississippi State, Gary Pinkel of Missouri and Mark Richt of Georgia.
The Dodd Trophy “recognizes the head coach of a team that emphasizes the highest ideals of scholarship, leadership and integrity on and off the field.”
It’s one of the few coaching of the year awards that Saban hasn’t won, but Bill Curry did at Alabama in 1989.
The finalists:
Art Briles, Baylor, Big 12
Jimbo Fisher, Florida State, ACC
Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss, SEC
Bryan Harsin, Boise State, Mountain West
Urban Meyer, Ohio State, Big Ten
Jim Mora, UCLA, Pac 12
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State, SEC
Gary Patterson, TCU, Big 12 2009 Winner
Gary Pinkel, Missouri, SEC
Mark Richt, Georgia, SEC
Nick Saban, Alabama, SEC
Dabo Swinney, Clemson, ACC 2011 Winner
The winner will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl week.
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
