ATLANTA — BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake was today named one of 24 candidates on the midseason watch list for the 2025 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank.
Now celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, the award is presented annually by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., and honors a head coach 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.
In his 10th year at BYU and 25th overall season as a college football coach, Sitake leads the program he once played for under legendary College Football Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards.
A former Cougar running back (1994, 1997-2000), Sitake has guided BYU to 18 wins in its last 20 games to finish last season No. 13 in the country at 11-2 and earn current rankings of No. 10/11 (AFCA/AP) while starting the 2025 season with a 7-0 record. The first FBS head football coach of Tongan descent, Sitake boasts a 79-43 record in his 10 seasons at BYU.
Previously, Sitake was named a candidate for the American Heart Association’s 2025 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
The 2025 Dodd Trophy midseason watch list features a collective group of coaches who have led their teams to 1,813 wins, 27 conference titles and three national championships throughout their collegiate careers.
This year’s Dodd Trophy midseason watch list includes (in alphabetical order):
| Coach | School | Conference | AP Rank | Record |
| Bret Bielema | Illinois | Big Ten | 23 | 5-2 |
| Jeff Brohm | Louisville | ACC | 19 | 5-1 |
| Curt Cignetti | Indiana | Big Ten | 2 | 7-0 |
| Mario Cristobal | Miami [FL] | ACC | 9 | 5-1 |
| Ryan Day | Ohio State | Big Ten | 1 | 7-0 |
| Kalen DeBoer | Alabama | SEC | 4 | 6-1 |
| Kenny Dillingham | Arizona State | Big 12 | 24 | 5-2 |
| Eliah Drinkwitz | Mizzou | SEC | 15 | 6-01 |
| Mike Elko | Texas A&M | SEC | 3 | 7-0 |
| Tony Elliott | Virginia | ACC | 16 | 6-1 |
| Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame | Independent | 12 | 5-2 |
| Alex Golesh | USF | AAC | 18 | 6-1 |
| Josh Heupel | Tennessee | SEC | 17 | 5-1 |
| Brian Kelly | LSU | SEC | 20 | 5-2 |
| Brent Key | Georgia Tech | ACC | 7 | 7-0 |
| Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss | SEC | 8 | 6-1 |
| Dan Lanning | Oregon | Big Ten | 6 | 6-1 |
| Clark Lea | Vanderbilt | SEC | 10 | 6-1 |
| Joey McGuire | Texas Tech | Big 12 | 14 | 6-1 |
| Steve Sarkisian | Texas | SEC | 22 | 5-2 |
| Scott Satterfield | Cincinnati | Big 12 | 21 | 6-1 |
| Kalani Sitake | BYU | Big 12 | 11 | 7-0 |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | SEC | 5 | 6-1 |
| Brent Venables | Oklahoma | SEC | 13 | 6-1 |
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 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.