July 10, 2015
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech head football coach Paul Johnson is one of 23 coaches on the preseason watch list for the 2015 Dodd Trophy, announced Friday by the Bobby Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Johnson is one of three ACC coaches of the list, joining Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher.
Johnson, the 2014 ACC Coach of the Year, led the Yellow Jackets to an 11-3 record and a 2014 Capital One Orange Bowl win over Mississippi State. The Jackets, who led the nation with a school-record 342.1 rushing yards per game in 2014, finished the season ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 1990. Under Johnson, Tech’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores have risen every year.
He was named 2004 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year as Navy’s head coach. Former Georgia Tech head coaches Bobby Ross (1990) and George O’Leary (2000) are previous recipients as well.
The head coaches on the watch list represent programs with the highest ideals of leadership, scholarship and integrity on and off the field – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s philosophy. Each of the coaches sits at the helm of programs with winning records, superior Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores and graduation rates, and a strong commitment to service within their communities.
Additional watch lists – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released throughout the fall, and the winner of the 2015 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl week. Starting in September, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will also be presented weekly to the coach 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.
The Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Division I FBS head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team who enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd’s teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football’s legendary figures and is one of only three men to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as both a player (Tennessee) and a coach (Georgia Tech). Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Va., and played at the University of Tennessee where his teams had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Learn more at TheDoddTrophy.com.
Georgia Tech opens the 2015 season Sept. 3 against Alcorn State (7:30 p.m. ET, RSN). 2015 Georgia Tech season tickets are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets in person at the Georgia Tech Ticket Office (M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m.), by phone at 888-TECH-TIX, or online at togetherweswarm.com. Season tickets for Tech’s seven-game home schedule start at just $245 – a value of $35 per game. Great lower-level seats are available from $350. There is no per-game ticket or Tech Fund price increase in 2015. The only difference is the addition of a seventh home game (Georgia).
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GeorgiaTechFB), Facebook (facebook.com/GTAthletics), and Instagram (@GTAthletics) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
YELLOW JACKETS ON PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year)
Adam Gotsis, DT
Bronko Nagurski Trophy (National Defensive Player of the Year)
Adam Gotsis, DT
Dodd Trophy (National Coach of the Year)
Paul Johnson
Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year)
Justin Thomas, QB
Outland Trophy (Best Interior Lineman)
Adam Gotsis, DT
Paul Hornung Award (Most Versatile)
Jamal Golden, DB/KR
Rimington Trophy (Top Center)
Freddie Burden, C
