Mark Dantonio Makes Dodd Trophy Award Watch List

Michigan State Spartans coach Mark Dantonio has received some much-deserved respekt as one of 24 coaches named to the Dodd Trophy watch list.

The award, named for former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd, is "college football’s most coveted coaching award, celebrating 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 philosophy."

The coaches on the preseason watch list were selected based on their success on and off the field.

Here’s the full list, which includes five Big Ten coaches:

Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Larry Fedora, North Carolina

Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Jimbo Fisher, FSU

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

Mark Helfrich, Oregon

Clay Helton, USC

Tom Herman, Houston

Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

Jim McElwain, Florida

Urban Meyer, Ohio State

Les Miles, LSU

Jim Mora, UCLA

Gary Patterson, TCU

Chris Petersen, Washington

Nick Saban, Alabama

David Shaw, Stanford

Kirby Smart, Georgia

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M

Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Kirk Ferentz won the award last year.

The winner of the 2016 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. A panel consisting of all previous Dodd Trophy 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 2016 season.