ATLANTA — BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake was today named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Dodd Trophy presented by PNC Bank. The preseason list includes 26 of the nation’s top college football coaches as selected by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc.
Named after legendary Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd, the Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the FBS football coach whose program represents the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity—the three pillars of Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy.
Sitake is entering his 10th season leading the BYU program he once played for under College Football Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards. A former Cougar running back (1994, 1997-2000), Sitake has guided the Cougars to a 72-43 overall record during his first nine seasons (2016-24) at the helm after leading BYU to an 11-2 record and a No. 13/14 final ranking in 2024.
Entering his 25th overall season as a college football coach, Sitake is the first FBS head football coach of Tongan descent as well as the first former player under Edwards to be named head coach at BYU. He led the Cougars from the ranks of FBS independent to membership in the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
During BYU's independent era, Sitake guided the Cougars to notable power-conference wins over Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Tennessee, USC, Utah, Washington State and Wisconsin, including a 29-9 record during the final three seasons of independence from 2020-22.
In recent years, Sitake was named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list in 2020 and 2024 and was also recognized as an Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award Finalist and George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award Semifinalist in 2020 and 2021.
The Dodd Trophy annually honors a coach whose program had a successful season on the field but also stresses the importance of academic excellence and desire to give back to the community. The nominating committee is made up of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member.
A midseason watch list—adding to or narrowing the field—will be released in the fall. A panel consisting of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2025 season. The winner of the 2025 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Towards the end of the 2025 football season, the committee will identify a group of finalists for the Dodd Trophy who meet the rigorous standards of excellence. The ultimate winner is selected from the list of finalists through a voting process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation Board.
In addition, beginning in September, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will honor coaches whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, while also having success on the playing field during the previous week.
Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List Presented by PNC Bank
| Coach | School | Conference |
| Bret Bielema | Illinois | Big Ten |
| Jeff Brohm | Louisville | ACC |
| Curt Cignetti | Indiana | Big Ten |
| Mario Cristobal | Miami (FL) | ACC |
| Matt Campbell | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Spencer Danielson | Boise State | Mountain West |
| Ryan Day | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Kalen DeBoer | Alabama | SEC |
| Kenny Dillingham | Arizona State | Big 12 |
| Eliah Drinkwitz | Mizzou | SEC |
| Mike Elko | Texas A&M | SEC |
| James Franklin | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame | Independent |
| Josh Heupel | Tennessee | SEC |
| Brian Kelly | LSU | SEC |
| Brent Key | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| Chris Klieman | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| Dan Lanning | Oregon | Big Ten |
| Joey McGuire | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| Jeff Monken | Army | AAC |
| Steve Sarkisian | Texas | SEC |
| Ryan Silverfield | Memphis | AAC |
| Kalani Sitake | BYU | Big 12 |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | SEC |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson | ACC |
| Brent Venables | Oklahoma | SEC |