Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman named one of 21 Dodd Trophy watch list nominees
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is one of 21 coaches across the country who landed on the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dodd Trophy, which is given annually to a successful head coach who stresses the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
Those are the three pillars in the coaching philosophy of Bobby Dodd, a Georgia Tech legend who logged a head coaching record of 165-64-8 for the Yellow Jackets from 1945 to 1966.
“The Dodd Trophy continues to be the most coveted coach of the year award due to what we call the ‘Dodd Difference,’ where coaches are held to a higher standard, both on and off the field,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Boddy Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, in a statement. “This award is about more than just wins on the gridiron, but also focuses on how these coaches embody leadership with their student-athletes in the classroom and throughout their communities.
“As a result, we only consider coaches whose programs have earned the highest APRs and require coaches to have at least two years of experience leading their current programs, so that they have had time to establish a precedent at their universities.”
Notre Dame has only had one winner of the award since it’s inception in 1976. Brian Kelly won it with the Irish in 2018.
Here are all 21 head coaches up for the 2024 trophy. Coaches in their first year with their current teams were not eligible to land on the watch list.
2024 Bobby Dodd Trophy watch list nominees
| Coach | School | Conference |
| Jeff Brohm | Louisville | ACC |
| Mario Cristobal | Miami (FL) | ACC |
| Ryan Day | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Dave Doeren | NC State | ACC |
| Eliah Drinkwitz | Mizzou | SEC |
| Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | Big Ten |
| James Franklin | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame | Independent |
| Mike Gundy | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| Josh Heupel | Tennessee | SEC |
| Brian Kelly | LSU | SEC |
| Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss | SEC |
| Chris Klieman | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| Lance Leipold | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Mike Norvell | Florida State | ACC |
| Brent Pry | Virginia Tech | ACC |
| Lincoln Riley | USC | Big Ten |
| Steve Sarkisian | Texas | SEC |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | SEC |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson | ACC |
| Kyle Whittingham | Utah | Big 12 |
More on Marcus Freeman
Freeman is entering his third season as Notre Dame’s head coach. He went 9-4 in his first season and 10-3 in year two. He’s looking for more incremental improvement — or more — in year three.
Notre Dame only has three true road games in 2024 as well as three neutral-site matchups to go along with six home games in South Bend. Freeman takes Notre Dame on the road for the season-opener against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field in College Station on Aug. 31.
