Did you really think Watch List Season 2019 had come to a merciful end?
The Dodd Trophy is the latest to release its preseason watch list, with the award handed out annually to the nation’s top head football coach highlighting a group that includes 23 individuals. Among the nearly two dozen coaches are six past winners of the Dodd Trophy: Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly (2018), Stanford’s David Shaw (2017), Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (2015), Alabama’s Nick Saban (2014), Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (2011) and Boise State’s Chris Petersen (2010).
With six, the Big Ten leads all conferences. The SEC is next up with five, followed by three each for the Big 12 and Pac-12. The ACC (two), football independents (two), AAC (one) and Mountain West (one) rounded out the group of preseason watch listers.
AAC
Josh Heupel, UCF
ACC
Dino Babers, Syracuse
Swinney
BIG 12
Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Tom Herman, Texas
Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
BIG TEN
Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
Ferentz
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
James Franklin, Penn State
Scott Frost, Nebraska
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
INDEPENDENTS
Kelly
Jeff Monken, Army
MOUNTAIN WEST
Bryan Harsin, Boise State
PAC-12
Chris Petersen, Washington
Shaw
Kyle Whittingham, Utah
SEC
Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Dan Mullen, Florida
Saban
Kirby Smart, Georgia