Kirk Ferentz Named to Dodd Trophy Midseason List

OCTOBER 19, 2023 

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa Moon Family head football coach Kirk Ferentz is one of 20 head coaches named to the 2023 Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List. The announcement was made Thursday by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc.

 

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 graduation rate, commitment to service and charity in the community, on-field success thus far for the 2023 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR).

Ferentz is in his 25th season as Iowa’s head coach, the longest tenured head coach in college football. Ferentz has coached 13 individual national award winners and 85 NFL Draft selections during his tenure. He became Iowa’s winningest head coach on Sept. 1, 2018, and earned his 200th victory as a college head coach at Iowa State earlier this season.

Ferentz has led the Hawkeyes to 20 bowl invitations, including 12 January bowl game appearances. Iowa is bowl eligible once again in 2023, having won six of its first seven games to start the season. The Hawkeyes have won 10 or more games seven times under his direction and have been ranked in the final Top 25 rankings four of the previous five seasons.

Ferentz has led the Hawkeyes to a 192-116 overall record, including a 118-84 Big Ten Conference record. Ferentz is third in the Big Ten Conference for league wins and ranks fourth in total victories.

Ferentz was named the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 2015. He has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times (2002, 2004, 2009, 2015) and was named the Woody Hayes and Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year in 2015, as well.

The 20 coaches joining Ferentz on the midseason list represent Air Force, Alabama, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, James Madison, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Texas, Tulane, USC, Utah and Washington.