ACC Football Coaches Headline 2024 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference head football coaches headline the 2024 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl. The ACC was represented on the watch list by six league coaches – the most of any conference.
This year’s watch list includes 21 of the nation's top college football coaches and no conference has more than the ACC’s six head coaches.
The six head coaches hailing from the ACC include Jeff Brohm of Louisville, Mario Cristobal of Miami, Dave Doeren of NC State, Mike Norvell of Florida State, Brent Pry of Virginia Tech and Dabo Swinney of Clemson.
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Of the 21 coaches on the 2024 watch list, five are previous winners of The Dodd Trophy, including two from the ACC in Coach Swinney (2011) and Coach Norvell (2023).
Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, The Dodd Trophy, college football's most coveted national coaching award, celebrates 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 Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2024 season.
The 2024 ACC Football season features 17 football programs, and the season will kick off with three teams competing in Week 0 on Saturday, August 24 including Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in Irelan as part of the Aer Lingus Classic. College GameDay will also be in Ireland – its first appearance outside of the United States.
ACC Football
The ACC is the Conference of Quarterbacks, with the return of full-time starters Thomas Castellanos at Boston College, Cade Klubnik at Clemson, Haynes King at Georgia Tech, Preston Stone at SMU, and Kyron Drones at Virginia Tech, and transfers Maalik Murphy at Duke, DJ Uiagalelei at Florida State, Tyler Shough at Louisville, Cam Ward at Miami, Grayson McCall at NC State, and Kyle McCord at Syracuse among others.
ACC has the topped ranked group of quarterback transfers in 2024 by CBS Sports.
13 QBs in the league enter the 2024 season with over 20 career touchdown passes and 3,500 career passing yards.
Eight quarterbacks from ACC schools are projected to start Week 1 in the 2024 NFL season — 25 percent of NFL teams.
Since 2018, the ACC has had at least one quarterback drafted in the first round in five different drafts — the only conference to do that.
The ACC’s non-conference schedule continues to be the most challenging in the country.
27 games against Power 4 opponents, including Notre Dame, the most of any conference.
Nine non-conference games against teams ranked in the final 2023 Associated Press Top 25 Poll, the most of any conference.
10 non-conference games against teams in ESPN’s 2024 Way-Too-Early Top 25, the most of any conference.
Six ACC head coaches were named to the 2024 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl, the most of any conference.
Two of the three active coaches to win a national title reside in the ACC - Dabo Swinney led Clemson to national titles in 2016 and 2018. North Carolina’s Mack Brown won a national title at Texas in 2005.
About the Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank:
The Dodd Trophy presented by PNC was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd's teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football's legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Virginia, and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the National College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player. Additional information about the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation can be found at www.TheDoddTrophy.com.