The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year preseason watch list is out, and among the 20 coaches included, 6 hail from the SEC.

The list includes the top college football coaches from all Power 5 conferences, as well as the American Athletic Conference and an independent.

The SEC coaches are Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, Alabama’s Nick Saban, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops.

The Dodd Trophy honors 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.

The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., taking into consideration each program’s graduation rate, commitment to service and charity in the community, projected success for the 2022 season and Academic Progress Rate. Coaches in the first year with their current team are ineligible to receive The Dodd Trophy.

“College football has seen many changes in recent years, but all of these coaches have held true to our award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “What separates The Dodd Trophy and truly makes it the most coveted coach of the year award, is our commitment to recognizing all that these coaches do, not only on the football field, but in the classroom and throughout their communities as well. This is why we require coaches to have at least two years of experience leading their current programs, so that they have had time to establish a precedent, both on and off the field.”