As summer goes on, fall draws closer — and with it, football season.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was one of the lucky coaches announced on the preseason watch list for the Dodd Trophy.
This announcement comes after one of the best seasons in Illini football history. All of this happened under Bielema’s leadership in Champaign. He led the team to 10 victories along with several closely contested games.
On the Dodd Trophy website, they elaborate the importance of the award.
“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.”
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The watch list is made up of 26 coaches from conferences across the country.
“As we enter our 50th anniversary season, we’re looking for exceptional candidates to join the storied fraternity of coaching greats who have previously won The Dodd Trophy,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, in a statement on the Dodd Trophy website. “Over the last half century, this award has always stood for more than just wins on the field, but also focuses on how coaches should embody leadership with their student-athletes in the classroom and throughout their communities.”
Bielema and the Illini will return to Memorial Stadium on Aug. 29 against Western Illinois.
@lauram31
